French football expert Robin Bairner warned Chelsea not to spend £50 million for Folarin Balogun amid links to the Arsenal striker.
Folarin Balogun has become an enigma since returning to Arsenal after a stellar loan spell at Reims. Mikel Arteta does. He does not consider the USMNT star a part of his plan and has already told Edu Gaspar to cash in on the forward.
Unsurprisingly, Balogun has garnered plenty of interest, with Monaco coming close than anyone with a bid. Arsenal rejected their offer as they kept demanding £50 million, possibly including bonuses. The price tag has been the major problem for many other suitors, with Inter Milan bowing out after persistent negotiations.
Balogun wants to play regularly, and at Arsenal, he’s currently the fourth-choice striker behind Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Eddie Nketiah. Hence, seeing through a sale is in everyone’s best interest, but things could smoothen if the Gunners reduce their asking price.
French football expert Robin Bairner warned suitors, especially Chelsea, against spending £50 million on the USMNT star. He explained his reasons on the Football Transfers tweet, suggesting a £35 million price point would make much more sense than paying over £50 million.
French football expert @RBairner believes Chelsea would be CRAZY to spend £50m on Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun 🤪 pic.twitter.com/g149WcCCfL
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 20, 2023
Watch above as Bairner explains why a move for Balogun won’t make sense if Chelsea ends up paying £50 million. He suggests Balogun scored 22 goals, but 7 of those came from the penalty spot, as the expert compares the USMNT star to Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe, who had a similar season during his Lille days.
Chelsea recently showed an interest in Balogun after missing out on Michael Olise. The latter chose to sign a new deal with Crystal Palace, thus forcing the Blues to look at alternatives to the Frenchman. With the USMNT star readily available for transfer, Todd Boehly may consider moving if the conditions are right.
There’s plenty of speculation surrounding the striker as Tottenham are also keen on the forward to replace Harry Kane. West Ham and Fulham are also interested, although Chelsea may have a better working relationship with Arsenal after recent business activities between the two clubs.
Jorginho and Kai Havertz moved from Chelsea to Arsenal in the last two windows. Hence there’s a far greater chance for Balogun to move there than Tottenham. However, the Blues must heed what Bairner suggests, as they might take a significant risk by investing heavily in the USNMT star and rival attacker.
