Folarin Balogun is now surplus to requirements at Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta conscious of the player’s potentially depreciating value amid limited minutes up for grabs in 2023/24.
CaughtOffside understands that the Gunners are prepared to lower their initial asking price for the striker to a minimum level around the £34.5-38.8m mark whilst Inter Milan remain optimistic that they’ll be able to finalise a deal.
Despite other Premier League sides enquiring over the former Reims loanee’s future, his preference at this point in time is a switch to the Serie A with Simone Inzaghi’s Champions League finalists.
Whilst there were talks with West Ham over acquiring outgoing attacker Gianluca Scamacca, the American was always Inter’s priority in the market to bolster their forward line and the club are thought to be willing to make an offer.
This would currently fall under Arsenal’s asking price at £25.9m plus add-ons, including a sale-on percentage (20% has been mooted but there are internal discussions taking place over this figure).
This comes despite a stellar loan spell in the French top-flight in which the 22-year-old amassed 25 goal contributions (22 goals, three assists) within 39 games across all competitions.
It’s a remarkable development in this particular story given Gabriel Jesus’ latest injury setback, though it would appear that the club is more than satisfied with its current array of centre-forward options with Eddie Nketiah (24) having signed a long-term contract as recently as the prior summer.
Given the drop-off in quality from the Brazil international, however – Nketiah registered 12 goal contributions in 39 games (at a rate of a goal or assist every 154.9 minutes – compared to Jesus’ rate of 123.5) – it’s a little startling how blasé the Premier League outfit is acting with regard to Balogun’s future.
With such a significant outlay on additions this summer – most notably a club-record fee of £105m spent on West Ham’s Declan Rice – one could venture that Arsenal are wary of balancing the books ahead of the start of the new season.
Is Jesus ever going to stay fit when is needed?