Arsenal academy graduate and United States international striker Folarin Balogun has shown his hand this summer amid transfer speculation surrounding his future as the 22-year-old has requested that the Gunners lower their asking price in order to facilitate a move away from the Emirates.
CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs, Balogun’s refusal to go on loan for a second consecutive season in the wake of his fantastic 2022-23 with Stade de Reims will almost certainly see the club part ways with the Brooklyn-born striker after his desire to be viewed as first-choice moving forward.
Folarin Balogun has asked Arsenal to drop their asking price. He’s already said he won’t go out on loan. Inter felt £45m was too high and have now bid for West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca. They haven’t entirely ruled out signing Balogun, though.🔴 pic.twitter.com/dWoZY4uVCE
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 1, 2023
Already, the transfer landscape has rapidly shifted such that manufacturing Balogun’s sale becomes more difficult. Formerly linked clubs such as RB Leipzig and AC Milan have already moved on to and secured deals for other targets, with RBL bringing in RC Lens forward Loïs Openda, and Milan securing the services of Noah Okafor.
Inter Milan had maintained a long-standing interest in Balogun, but with Arsenal reported looking to receive a fee in the region of £45m, the Serie A giants are now reportedly looking to pivot to West Ham United’s Gianluca Scamacca, with Balogun feeling that Arsenal adding on higher valuation to any possible sale has priced him out of a move.
Additionally, there are some at the club that feel the Gunners should be getting £50m for the player per Jacobs, while the overall rhetoric emerging from Arsenal is that their current pricetag is fair value given his 2022-23 season in Ligue 1.
Thankfully or Arsenal, this could open the door for the Hammers to bid for the United Stated front-liner should Scamacca head back to Italy, with West Ham said to be interested, while Balogun is reportedly on the short list of other Premier League clubs who have apparently already enquired.
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