Arsenal's young striker Folarin Balogun is Inter's "top target this summer", but the Italians expect negotiations to be challenging as the Gunners want "big money" for their star, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Is Folarin Balogun leaving Arsenal this summer?
Has there been a better transfer window for the Gunners in the last couple of decades? The north Londoners look to have taken their second-place finish last season to heart and have aggressively attacked the market, making three first-team signings already.
First came Kai Havertz for a cool £65m and Jurrien Timber arrived from Ajax for £34m, before the club smashed their transfer record – and the record for a British player – to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United for an eye-watering £105m.
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With talk of yet more potential incomings this summer, it's not too surprising to hear that Mikel Arteta and Edu are looking to sell a few players as well, with the Spaniard saying earlier this week:
"We have 30 players here, which is unsustainable, and obviously the market is still open. Things can happen – but we are prepared."
United States international Balogun is one of those players who looks like they could be on their way out of the club.
According to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport (via the Daily Mail), Inter have now made the 22-year-old their primary target after ceasing their interest in Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata earlier this month.
The main issue for the deal, however, is that the Gunners are expected to want at least £50m for their asset – a price the Nerazzurri are not willing to match.
However, there is a belief within the blue half of Milan that the price can be negotiated down, so he remains their No 1 target, per Fabrizio Romano.
He explained the situation on his Here We Go podcast:
"Balogun is a very concrete target for Inter; it's not an easy negotiation with Arsenal, because Arsenal want big money for Balogun. It's not like you can get there and sign the player whenever you want.
"But, Inter are having conversations, Inter are having conversations and I think Balogun is the top target."
How good is Folarin Balogun?
During a season in which the Gunners came agonisingly close to dethroning the indomitable Manchester City, the player with the most league goals wasn't even in the country; they were plying their trade in Ligue 1 with Stade Reims.
That was Balogun, who, in just 34 starts, scored a seriously impressive 21 goals, provided two assists and achieved an average match rating of 6.90, per WhoScored.
For comparison, the highest-scoring Arsenal players in the Premier League were Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli, with 15 apiece.
It would be easy to call the American's season a fluke or good luck, but his underlying numbers suggest he was performing at the right level for his talent.
According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the New York City-born gem sits in the top 7% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 9% for total shots and progressive passes received, as well as the top 19% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90.
His decision to take a risk and play in France was something that Arteta was keen to praise earlier this year when he said: "He's a boy that, again, has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career.
"He's really ambitious, really committed and really brave. We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and other choices he had [and] he was so convinced.
"I'm really happy for him and he deserves what he's getting."
Selling a player with the potential of Balogun could be something the Gunners come to regret, but with starting spots limited at the Emirates and the potential to make £35-50m, it might be best for all involved, at least for now.
