Arsenal handed HUGE boost in €40m deal
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 30 Jul 2023 13:47 BST
- 3 min read
Inter Milan are set to push ahead with their pursuit of Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun after deciding against signing Alvaro Morata from Atletico Madrid.
Morata is seen as Simone Inzaghi’s preferred choice, but Inter’s directors and club president Steven Zhang prefer a younger striker with room to grow.
As a result, they have landed on USMNT international Balogun and the print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport have reported that Inter will press forward in their attempts to land the 22-year-old next week.
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The report states that once a deal to sign Yann Sommer from Bayern Munich is agreed - to replace Andre Onana in between the sticks - the Serie A giants will focus their attention on acquiring Balogun.
Inter are reportedly hoping to offload Joaquin Correa to facilitate a move for Balogun and are expecting an offer from the Saudi Pro League soon.
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Inter’s striker meeting
Inter head coach Inzaghi, president Zhang, and Sporting Director Piero Ausilio arranged a meeting in Japan on 29 July, with CEO Beppe Marotta joining via a video call, according to Gazzetta.
The topic of a new striker was the main focus, following Edin Dzeko’s departure to Fenerbahce and their decision to move away from Romelu Lukaku.
Inzaghi still wants to sign Morata, but sees Udinese forward Beto as an alternative, while the rest of the Inter hierarchy want Balogun.
Beto is seen as a more traditional number nine - more in the mould of Lukaku and Dzeko - while Balogun is somewhat stylistically similar to Lautaro Martinez, the new Inter captain.
Inzaghi wants the new arrival to possess physical presence and strong holdup play as well as experience at the top level, according to the report, but Balogun appears to be the most likely signing given the fact the rest of the club’s hierarchy are big admirers of the Arsenal man.
Blaogun scored 21 Ligue 1 goals on loan at Stade Reims last season and is expected to leave the Emirates this window thanks to the presence of Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Kai Havertz.
