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Folarin Balogun transfer latest: Arsenal forwards on “different paths”
Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah has hinted that the USMNT star could soon depart, with a number of teams reportedly interested.
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has revealed that he and Folarin Balogun are on “different paths”, sparking speculation that the USMNT forward could soon be leaving the club.
Balogun starred during a loan spell with Ligue 1 side Reims last season, scoring 21 goals in the French top flight. However he appears to be down the pecking order at Arsenal, with Gabriel Jesus and Nketiah battling it out for the lone striker’s spot.
Ahead of a trip to Crystal Palace on Monday, Nketiah spoke to SportBible about the young USMNT forward.
“He’s a great guy and he’s a great player, every situation is different,” Nketiah said.
“We’re managed by the same people, but we have different careers. We’re on different paths, so that doesn’t really matter.”
“It’s good to have him back. I wish him all the best, he’s a great player.”
The suggestion that Nketiah and Balogun are “on different paths” was taken by some to mean that Balogun could soon be leaving the club. Nketiah started and scored in Arsenal’s opening day win over Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile Balogun has struggled for first team opportunities since making his Gunners debut in 2020 and is the subject of interest from numerous club.
Folarin Balogun’s Chelsea and Tottenham interest
Football fans are extremely reluctant to allow promising young players to leave for local rivals, but that is a prospect that has become increasingly likely for Arsenal supporters in recent days.
Earlier on in the summer transfer window Balogun had been a target for Inter and AC Milan, two Italian giants. But while a move to San Siro would have an appeal for the player, neither club is able to put up the £50 million ($64m) that Arsenal are now demanding for Balogun.
At this stage in the summer it seems unlikely that anyone outside the Premier League, or perhaps Saudi Arabia, will be willing to meet Arsenal’s valuation for the player.
However the two clubs who would seem like the most natural landing spots for Balogun are among Arsenal’s fiercest rivals. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are both thought to be targeting another forward this summer to bolster their attacking options.
Chelsea are without Christopher Nkunku for months after he sustained an injury in pre-season, while Spurs are yet to replace the departed Harry Kane. Both teams could afford him but both Arsenal and Balogun, who has been with the Gunners since the age of seven, will need to decide if a London switch works for them.