Italian football giant, Inter Milan, is setting the stage for an ambitious bid to capture USMNT and Arsenal's striker, Folarin Balogun, this summer. Despite no official proposal submitted yet, rumors are heating up about a €40 million (£34.3m) offer to lure the 22-year-old star to San Siro, reports say.
Negotiations are reportedly underway with Balogun's agents, even as Arsenal allegedly stakes a £50m valuation on him. This development emerged as Inter retreated from a deal with Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku, after the Premier League club insisted on a €45m offer. Lukaku, who spent last season loaned back to Inter after a lackluster spell at Chelsea, couldn't tempt Inter enough to meet the price.
Balogun's stellar loan term at French team Reims, where he netted 21 Ligue 1 goals in 37 matches, has put him in the spotlight. But he made it clear that another loan isn't on his agenda. "What I can say is that I definitely won't go on loan again. I'm just committed to now, I try to stay present," he stated earlier in June, while expressing his uncertainty about upcoming discussions concerning his long-term prospects at the Emirates.
It's suggested that Inter might try to bridge the gap with Arsenal's high valuation by including clauses like a sell-on percentage or buyback option. Balogun's position has also attracted interest from Premier League teams like Brighton, Crystal Palace, and West Ham, which could prompt a bidding war and drive the price closer to Arsenal's expectations.
Inter's squad, which includes Lautaro Martinez, Joaquin Correa, and newcomer Marcus Thuram, offers a daunting challenge for Balogun, but the departures of Edin Dzeko and Lukaku also open up opportunities for him to secure a regular starting role, a prospect he is keen on.
Presently, Balogun is accompanying Arsenal on their preseason tour in the USA, focusing on his current commitments. "It's great because he's done incredibly well. Now we have to think about what is best to do," commented Arsenal's coach Mikel Arteta, indicating the decision about Balogun's future isn't hasty.
Amid the looming sale, a string of players on Arsenal's bench might be exiting, as the club recently splashed over £200 million on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber. A name topping Arteta's list to offload is Nicolas Pepe, whose future remains uncertain due to a significant disparity between salary expectations and the interest shown by a Saudi Arabian club.
