Fulham is reportedly stepping up efforts to sign the United States men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun of Arsenal. The USMNT forward has links with a move away from Emirates Stadium. Those rumors persisted throughout the summer. However, the north London outfit has not been able to offload the star due to their hefty asking price.
Mail Sport is claiming that the Gunners are now quoting other clubs around $57 million for Balogun. This is around $6 million less than they previously had hoped to receive. Fulham has a real interest in signing the American. However, the Premier League side is balking at Arsenal’s massive asking fee. The news outlet reports that the Cottagers are willing to bid as high as $45 million for Balogun.
Mitrovic’s departure would force Fulham to make move
Fulham is currently chasing the 22-year-old forward due to Al-Hilal’s interest in Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Saudi Arabian side has already bid $58 million for the Serbian star, but the Cottagers are reluctant to sanction the deal. Nevertheless, Mitrovic is ready to make the move to the Middle East.
Assuming the Serbian striker completes the switch, Fulham will have a big hole to fill. Mitrovic’s 14 Premier League goals last season led the west London club by quite some margin. Other teams are also being linked with Balogun as well, but Fulham is seen as the front-runners at the moment.
Fulham has competition for star Arsenal striker Balogun
Inter Milan, Monaco and West Ham have all inquired about Balogun as well. However, neither team was willing to meet Arsenal’s asking price. The French side is best suited for another go at the striker. They recently had a $43 million bid rejected by the Gunners, but are currently considering yet another try.
Balogun was one of the standout performers in Ligue 1 last season with Reims. The American netted 21 goals in the French top flight, finishing fourth in the Golden Boot race. Although the youngster excelled while on loan, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta prefers Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, and Leandro Trossard up front for his team.
PHOTO: IMAGO / PanoramiC
