Folarin Balogun: Arsenal striker’s transfer value has near doubled by Reims loan

Robin Bairner

• 11 Feb 2023 13:28 GMT
• 3 min read

Folarin Balogun is a name on the lips of every Arsenal fan at present thanks to his stunning exploits in Ligue 1 on loan at Reims.

With 14 goals this season, he finds himself on top of the scoring charts in France, one clear of PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette.

His exploits are all the more impressive given that Reims are a team that started the season with a goal of survival are four teams go down this term.

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Unsurprisingly, his goal scoring has caught the eye, with reports suggesting that Milan are strongly interested in the centre forward, who they could see as a replacement for Rafael Leao, who is currently in a contract deadlock with the club.

But it’s not just the Serie A side who are interested in the forward. Marseille are keeping tabs on him while Villarreal in La Liga post an interest.

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Arsenal, meanwhile, may not wish to sell. Mikel Arteta’s side are short on centre-forward options, with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah his only two natural No.9s at present.

The Gunners may decide to cash in on the 21-year-old, who has seen his value explode over the course of his stay in France.

What is Folarin Balogun worth?

When Balogun went to Ligue 1 in the summer, his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) was hovering just over €8 million. Winning regular game time and scoring plenty of goals in France, though, has shot his value up to over €14m. Indeed, the top end of his valuation is €18m, which is surely the minimum Arsenal would be looking to recoup if they were to sell in the summer.

Should Balogun continue his excellent scoring form until the end of the season, it would be no surprise to see his value pushing €20m in the summer, but if he continues to outscore Mbappe, letting him go will be a very tough decision indeed for Arteta and Arsenal.