Chelsea ‘hold talks’ over €58m-rated Arsenal star
Robin Bairner
- 19 Aug 2023 09:40 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea could raid Arsenal for striker Folarin Balogun before the transfer window is out, with the Stamford Bridge side in talks with the Gunners over the striker.
Chelsea may have spent €323 million already this summer, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side are still in the market for reinforcements.
As well as a backup goalkeeper, the Blues are also in the market for another attacker, having surprisingly missed out on Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.
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Having struggled for goals last season, Chelsea have turned towards Arsenal’s Balogun as a possible solution. After all, the USMNT player scored 21 times for Reims in Ligue 1 last season while on loan in France.
Despite his impressive displays in 2022/23, Balogun has not done enough to win over Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and stands third in line at the Emirates Stadium for the No.9 role, behind Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.
Craving first-team football, Balogun is open to a move, with FootballTransfers having exclusively revealed that West Ham manager David Moyes has his heart set on the player.
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The Hammers boss, though, will need to beat Chelsea to the player, with the Daily Mail reporting that the Blues have already started discussions with regards a move.
Further interest comes from Fulham, Monaco and Inter, all of whom could get involved in the bidding.
Balogun’s asking price
Arsenal’s asking price for Balogun is expensive, though. The 22-year-old has had a €58.5m (£50m) price tag slapped on him – well above his Estimated Transfer Value of just €19.2m and even twice as much as the peak valuation of €24m.
Fulham have already made it clear that they will not bid above €41m (£35m) for the forward, while Chelsea are likely to be operating with around the same budget in mind given that this figure was that they were poised to sign Olise for.
Under contract until 2025, a quick resolution for Balogun appears unlikely unless Arsenal are willing to compromise on their asking price.
