Chelsea are ready to step up their interest in signing 22-year-old Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, valued at £50 million.
A report from Daily Mirror claims that Chelsea will look to step up their interest in signing Folarin Balogun. The 22-year-old striker was on loan at Stade Reims last season, and Arsenal will demand £50 million to part ways with him.
Balogun was highly impressive in Ligue 1, scoring 22 goals across all competitions. The £50 million-rated striker could prove to be a quality acquisition for Chelsea, and it remains to be seen whether the Blues are prepared to pay the asking price. Arsenal are unlikely to let him leave for cheap, especially to their London rivals.
Chelsea need to add more goals to their attack, and the 22-year-old should prove to be a quality long-term acquisition. He could compete with Nicolas Jackson for the starting spot this season.
Mauricio Pochettino needs to add more depth to his attack, and the 22-year-old could develop into a key player for him and Chelsea. The Argentine manager has played a key role in the development of a number of talented young players throughout the years, and he could be influential in the development of the Arsenal striker as well.
The Gunners will not be able to provide him with regular first-team action. So it makes sense for the player to move on and join another club. Selling to a direct rival might not be appealing to Arsenal. So it remains to be seen whether any other club come forward with a concrete proposal to sign the player.
Balogun has been linked with a number of clubs recently, and he has the potential to develop into a reliable goal-scorer in the top flight. Arsenal could end up regretting their decision to let the player leave if they accept an offer to sell him this summer. Meanwhile, the youngster is keen on joining Chelsea.
Chelsea will be hoping that the 22-year-old can hit the ground running and justify the investment if they manage to get a deal done. Arsenal already have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah at their disposal, and they do not need another centre forward right now. They should aim to sign a wide forward instead.
