Middlesbrough are reportedly on the verge of completing the capture of Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun on a loan deal worth £1 million.
According to Football Insider, Folarin Balogun is closing in on joining Middlesbrough. The second division outfit has negotiated a loan deal with Arsenal worth £1 million and should pay a portion of the 20-year-old prodigy’s salary. Balogun is currently undergoing a medical at Riverside Stadium, and it is only a matter of time before the deal is officiated.
Balogun’s imminent move to Middlesbrough should put an end to a long-running transfer saga that saw the forward being linked with a myriad of clubs across England. Nottingham Forest were one of the latest teams interested in the prodigy, while Saint-Etienne were involved in the equation as well. But it appears Boro have beaten these clubs in the pursuit of the Arsenal striker, who has had a difficult few years at the Emirates.
A product of the Arsenal youth academy that has developed talented players such as Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Joe Willock in recent years, Balogun was regarded as one of the most gifted players to come out of the academy when he rose through the ranks for the reserve side a few years ago.
However, the 20-year-old has since struggled with a lack of game-time at the highest level. Over the past couple of years, the NYC-born forward has featured in only ten competitive outings for Arsenal, just two of which have come in the Premier League this term.
The January transfer window offers Balogun the opportunity to truly kickstart his career elsewhere, with Middlesbrough emerging as his likeliest destination. Currently standing seventh in the Championship table, Boro are among the clubs pushing for a place in the promotion play-offs.
But with a record of just 29 goals in 25 matches, there is a dearth of productivity from Chris Wilder’s men. That is where Folarin Balogun could come in handy as he looks to complement top-scorer Andraz Sporar in the frontline.
As for Arsenal, Balogun’s departure will only fast-track the process of finding a new attacker in the market. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette also facing an uncertain future at Arsenal, it is only a matter of time before the Gunners spend the big bucks in the market for a prolific goalscorer.
Mikel Arteta is reportedly keen on acquiring the services of Dejan Kulusevski. But Arsenal are expected to stiff competition from fellow league rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, while Juventus themselves will be reluctant to offload the Swede after the recent ACL injury sustained by star forward Federico Chiesa.