Star BEGS Arsenal to change asking price after transfer blow
Tom Weber
- 1 Aug 2023 19:32 BST
- 3 min read
Wantaway striker Folarin Balogun has asked Arsenal to lower their asking price.
The newly-minted USMNT star is keen to leave the Emirates this summer because Mikel Arteta can't give him assurances that he will feature prominently as the club's number nine this term.
Balogun scored an impressive 21 Ligue 1 goals on loan at Stade Reims last season, but it will be nigh on impossible for him to supplant Gabriel Jesus in north London. Unsurprisingly, then, he has expressed his desire to leave as he is keen to be a starting striker in the upcoming campaign.
On paper, the talented 22-year-old has no shortage of suitors. Arsenal's asking price has, however, proved to be a massive roadblock to any potential transfer. The Gunners have been demanding as much as €50 million for their academy graduate.
READ: Arsenal 'reach agreement' with Ramsdale replacement
This is deemed an unrealistic price by most sides and for good reason: Balogun's Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) peaked at €23.6m last term, a long way short of what the Gunners are demanding.
Balogun asks to lower price
Inter have been Balogun's most persistent admirers, but they too were put off by Arsenal's asking price and they have now begun bidding for big-money West Ham flop Gianluca Scamacca instead.
In light of this, Balogun has asked Arsenal to lower their demands, according to journalist Ben Jacobs. With just a month left in the transfer window, the striker wants to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and he has no intention to head out on loan.
READ: Arsenal and Liverpool in transfer battle for Bundesliga star
Despite their bid for Scamacca, Inter remain interested and could be tempted to go in for Balogun again if Arsenal were to listen to his pleas. Jacobs also mentions West Ham as a potential destination - confirming FootballTransfers' exclusive reporting from June - but they will likely only make an offer after Scamacca leaves.
