Arsenal Youngster Folarin Balogun Being Tracked By Both Milan Clubs

Inter Milan have entered the race to sign Folarin Balogun as Arsenal look forward to maximizing their profit from any possible sale. The Milan club will be battling their city rivals AC Milan for the 21-year-old forward.

Balogun’s loan transfer to Stade de Reims has been a success and the Gunners will most likely capitalize on the opportunity by cashing in on the player.

Folarin Balogun is playing only his second senior season, on loan at Stade de Reims. He is having an excellent campaign with the French outfit after scoring 11 goals and 2 assists in just 19 appearances across all competitions (stats via Transfermarkt). He is making a good case for himself in case Arsenal need to turn to Balogun for some support in the frontline.

Folarin Balogun playing for Arsenal, Arsenal, Folarin Balogun, Milan — Image Obtained Via BBC

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Arsenal sporting director Edu is valuing Folarin Balogun at €40 million as both Serie A giants want the signature of the England u21 forward.

Balogun has continued to impress this season and has grabbed the attention of a few of Europe’s biggest clubs. His valuation will only keep rising if he maintains his form as the season progresses.

Arsenal are currently on top of the Premier League table, challenging both Manchester City and Manchester United for the league title. However, their marquee signing Gabriel Jesus is out with a knee injury. This leaves the Gunners with only one striker in the senior team and that is Eddie Nketiah.

AC Milan and Inter Milan are both tracking Folarin Balogun. The striker is currently on loan at Reims and has scored 10 goals so far this season. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🔴 [@Gazzetta_it]#Arsenal #TransferNews pic.twitter.com/K9UkaMtNBv

— Clock End News (@ClockEndNews) January 9, 2023

Arsenal might need a few more signings to keep up their form. They could use the fee from Balogun’s sale to invest in the squad. A striker and a right-back should be the Gunners’ priorities. The North London side tried to sign Mykhailo Mudryk but failed as Chelsea hijacked the move in the last moments.

Should Arsenal Cash In On Folarin Balogun?

Arsenal are finally looking like a team that is ready to compete in Europe, and potentially in the Champions League on a regular basis. Mikel Arteta has done magic with this club but it is about maintaining the standards now. The club has also backed Arteta in his plans, and the Spaniard will only need more support and recruitment if they are to maintain this success.

Folarin Balogun celebrating for Stade de Reims, Arsenal, Folarin Balogun, Milan — Image Obtained Via TEAMtalk

Arsenal must not be too dependent upon the investment of their owners. So one of the main sources of income becomes player sales.

Jesus is making good progress in his injury recovery and Nketiah has also been decent for Arsenal this season.

As for now, there is no immediate need for a striker which means Arsenal don’t necessarily have to hang on to Balogun. The sale of Folarin Balogun can allow the Gunners to buy a player with good potential and longevity. All Arsenal have to do is hope that Balogun keeps up his form and increases his transfer value.

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Even if Arsenal do plan on signing a striker, they should aim for a more experienced profile. They lack a physical striker who can play as a target man, one who is always beneficial to have when chasing a game in the closing minutes.

However, if Balogun ends up getting a substantial volume of goals and assists in France, then it won’t hurt for the Arsenal coaches to give him another chance. They might deal with him in a similar way to William Saliba if Balogun at all manages to hit the form that Saliba was in before joining Arsenal this season.

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