Lille could be a club to watch in the race for the potential transfer of Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun this summer as his future remains unresolved.
According to French football expert Jonathan Johnson in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, Balogun could be too expensive for most Ligue 1 clubs if he truly has a £50million asking price, as has been widely reported.
Still, Johnson feels that a situation to watch could be that of Jonathan David, who may end up leaving Lille for a similar fee, and who may need replacing up front at the Decathlon Arena.
“One club who might be worth keeping an eye on would be Lille – if they’re able to cash in on Jonathan David this summer, which would probably be for a similar price tag, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they were to look into Balogun’s situation,” Johnson said.
“I think that could be a good fit for him as well because it would give him that European platform that he’s in need of at this moment in his career. There’s also been links with Lille and Gift Orban who’s been performing well in Belgium, but Balogun could be another logical fit for a club looking to go on a run in the Europa Conference League next season and challenge for a European place in Ligue 1.”
Arsenal fans will no doubt be keeping a keen eye on this situation, as Balogun could be a big source of income for them this summer after his impressive form on loan at Reims last season.
At the same time, though, it seems risky letting such a top prospect go when he’s still only young and could improve further.
Others might argue, however, that there also might not be a better opportunity for Arsenal to cash in on him for such a big fee as there’s no guarantee he’ll be more than a one-season-wonder.
On Balogun’s value, Johnson added: “Arsenal’s reported £50m asking price is a lot. He’s essentially only had one really good prolific season – don’t get me wrong, he’s a very exciting talent and I think there will be more to come from him at club level and also with the US Men’s National Team, but to be talking about £50m now seems very steep and will almost certainly prohibit a return to Ligue 1.”