Dec 16, 2024, 11:37 AM ET
With United States striker Folarin Balogun injured, AS Monaco manager Adi Hütter said he is looking for an extra striker in January to give the team more firepower up front.
The team have been showing signs of fatigue in recent weeks, both in Ligue 1 and Champions League
They have failed to score in the past couple of matches, a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal in Europe’s top competition and a goalless draw at Stade de Reims over the weekend in Ligue 1.
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Monaco’s squad is blessed with young talented players but has only two strikers available at the moment, Breel Embolo and George Ilenikhena.
Balogun will undergo surgery on his recently dislocated shoulder on Tuesday and Monaco coach Adi Hütter said he will be out of action for about four months.
Speaking ahead of his team’s final Ligue 1 game of the year against leader Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, Hütter said he would not rule out a January signing.
“It’s necessary that we have our eyes open,” he said. “This is our job to take a look at the transfer market.”
Asked whether France forward Randal Kolo Muani — who is being used sparingly by PSG coach Luis Enrique — could be the right option, Hütter said, chuckling, “it sounds good.”
“But you have to be honest,” he said. “We have to find a good solution for the second period of the season. Which striker, we don’t know exactly now. We have some profiles. We have to find someone who scores goals.”
Hütter, who previously coached teams in Germany, said he followed Kolo Muani when the forward played for Eintracht Frankfurt.
Folarin Balogun is set for shoulder surgery. JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty Images
“He scored lots of goals, he was really, really, really good there,” he said. “He is a profile, maybe. But there are lots of other things. He is for sure not the cheapest one.”
Monaco are level on points with second-place Marseille in the French league standings, seven points behind leader PSG.
“Of course we want to win this game against Paris, but for this we need a perfect day,” the coach said. “They are unbeaten in Ligue 1, they are the favorites for this game. We are able to win against Paris but for this we need a top, top, top performance.”
Balogun, born in New York and raised in London, signed a five-year contract for Monaco after leaving Arsenal last year.
