When Folarin Balogun shows up for his one‑on‑one training sessions, his coach Saul Isaksson‑Hurst has learned to adapt his approach. While a structured programme can be laid out, Balogun – a driven and highly analytical player – often arrives with his own ideas about what to work on. "He's incredibly serious and highly motivated," Isaksson‑Hurst told Sky Sports. "Sometimes he'll walk in and say, 'I want to focus on this specific area.' He's not shy about voicing his priorities.
We usually have a dialogue, a back‑and‑forth, and we adjust the plan together." "He pushes me as much as I push him, and that makes the sessions intense. You can feel you’re working with a top‑level talent because everything is done at 100 percent." This exchange offers a window into the mindset of a player who has taken charge of his own development. The partnership began after a challenging loan spell at Middlesbrough when Balogun was still a teenager at Arsenal.
During that stint he managed only three goals in 18 Championship appearances, a return that could have defined his early career. Instead, he used the setback as fuel.
"He wanted to improve, to get better," Isaksson‑Hurst explained. "He was very goal‑oriented and ambitious." Their first intensive sessions took place that summer in London, concentrating on the attributes of a classic number nine – a poacher with a nose for the net. They worked on two‑footed finishing, movement patterns, timing of runs and the subtle nuances of positioning inside the box.
Balogun’s subsequent loan to French side Reims proved the value of that extra work. In 39 games he struck 22 times, a prolific tally that signalled his arrival as a genuine goal‑scorer.
Now 25, he continues to book regular sessions with Isaksson‑Hurst during off‑season periods and whenever his club schedule permits. His dedication has begun to reap rewards on the biggest stages. After a controversial red card at the World Cup, Balogun still managed to net three goals in the tournament, reminding everyone of his lethal instincts.
Those performances have sparked renewed Premier League interest, with Everton among the clubs linked to a possible return to English football – three years after his move from Arsenal to Monaco, where he has recorded 31 goals in 91 appearances. Balogun’s career narrative is marked by bold choices.
He stepped out of his comfort zone by moving to France, first on loan at Reims, and later by switching his international allegiance from England to the United States. "He wants to compete at the highest level, on the biggest stage," says Isaksson‑Hurst, who has coached several elite players after a stint as an academy coach. A comeback to the Premier League would place him back under the spotlight. "I don’t think the pressure would overwhelm him; I think he would thrive," his trainer added.
"He actively seeks that pressure. He constantly looks for marginal gains, extra work, and strives to become the best version of himself." Balogun’s form at the World Cup was a continuation of an impressive run at Monaco, where he finished the season with 11 goals in 14 matches, highlighted by a brace against Paris Saint‑Germain in the Champions League.
Yet his journey has not been without obstacles. Since his £35 million transfer from Arsenal in 2023, he has faced injury setbacks and periods where he struggled to cement a starting berth. Nevertheless, he has a long‑standing reputation for overcoming adversity.
Former Arsenal academy staff still recall him as a tireless worker, while at Middlesbrough his then‑manager Chris Wilder and assistant Alan Knill were struck by his mental resilience despite the challenges he encountered there. "It's part of the game," Isaksson‑Hurst notes.
"He needed those challenges to grow and, hopefully, become one of the world’s best players." Over several years, the coach has observed a hardening of Balogun’s mentality, describing it as the most striking element of his evolution. "He always had raw talent – a natural finisher – but he’s refined that skill and expanded other facets of his game: timing, movement, how he arrives in the box and his link‑up play." "Watching him transform from a young prospect into a mature striker has been remarkable. He reached out to me because he wanted more, and now his focus and seriousness are evident in every session. He wants to be among the elite number nines in world football and is willing to put in the work to prove it at the highest level." That mindset has kept him on course even when circumstances turned difficult.
Balogun also benefits from being a classic striker – a true ‘fox in the box’ – a profile that is increasingly rare in modern top‑flight football, where many teams favour versatile forwards who drift wide. Everton, like several other clubs, are in need of a reliable goal‑getter.
"Scoring is the hardest thing in football," Isaksson‑Hurst observes. "Balogun’s ability with both feet and his aerial presence are exceptional. Not many number nines possess that combination." "Many modern forwards are actually wingers or attacking midfielders playing as number nines. Flo is a genuine poacher, a fox in the box who can finish with either foot.
Give him a half‑yard and he will punish you. That’s what sets him apart." When you combine his natural finishing talent with an unrelenting, ambitious mentality, you get a dangerous mixture that can trouble any defence. Balogun’s journey illustrates how self‑directed improvement, strategic coaching, and a willingness to embrace challenges can forge a path to the top of the footballing world.