West Ham United must act fast on Folarin Balogun as Inter Milan ready £34.4m bid for Arsenal ace
Inter Milan are preparing a €40 million (£34.4m) bid for Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun and West Ham United must act fast if they are to secure one of their targets.
According to CBS Sports (17 July), the Serie A giants are ready to test Arsenal’s lofty resolve and are preparing a €40m (£34.4m) bid to sign the United States international, with the Hammers previously reported as interested suitors.
FootballTransfers reported on 22 June, West Ham have identified Arsenal striker Balogun as a “priority target” this summer to bolster their ranks in the forward positions.
Inter are desperately on the market for a forward this summer, following their withdrawal from the race to sign Romelu Lukaku on a permanent basis from Chelsea, and Balogun has emerged as a top target for the Nerazzurri, however, according to CBS Sports their £34.4m bid is likely to fall short of Arsenal’s £50m valuation.
With West Ham fresh off selling their most prized asset in Declan Rice to the Gunners for a big-money £105m deal, the Hammers are well placed to build on their good negotiations relationship with Arsenal to try and knock that price down and secure an attractive proposition in the market.
The Hale-End academy product enjoyed a sensational breakout campaign last term, bursting onto the European scene with 20 goals for Ligue 1 outfit Reims, becoming the first American to register that figure in a top-five league.
The newly-declared USMNT international is attracting a whole host of interest from several of Europe’s elite clubs, including Inter, and Arsenal are certainly braced for potential offers this summer, but given West Ham’s uncertainty in the striker position, this is a deal they must act on.
The likes of Gianluca Scamacca and club icon Michail Antonio are likely to leave the club this summer, leaving Danny Ings as their only option up front, and with the Irons prioritising replacements for Rice, they simply cannot afford to lose focus on securing a striker too.
Previously dubbed as “superb” by his Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Balogun represents the perfect tonic to rebuild from and he was indeed in emphatic form last term, plundering 20 goals and three assists from 36 matches across all competitions.
As per FBref, the 13-cap England U21 international – with seven goals – already ranks among the top 27 per cent of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals per 90, also ranking among the top 7 per cent for non-penalty xG and the top 9 per cent for total shots won.
Indeed, Balogun isn’t the finished article yet, but West Ham United already possess one of those in Danny Ings. Why not acquire a target with huge potential to become a future world star? Balogun is in that bracket and ilk of striker, also possessing the capabilities and talents to become a household name in the English top flight.
With the Hammers playing European football next season fresh off their impressive Europa Conference League triumph, as well as a healthy financial war chest, East London certainly looks an attractive proposition for some of Europe’s exciting talents.
Inter Milan may be readying their bid, but West Ham certainly now possess all the tools to swoop in and steal a march on Balogun’s signature. They’ve got to act fast.
In other West Ham news, Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse is the latest midfielder to be linked to the London Stadium