Chelsea target and Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun has given the green light to join Mauricio Pochettino’s side, but a fresh report has revealed that he won’t come cheap.
What age is Folarin Balogun?
Balogun is 22 years of age and an academy graduate at the Emirates Stadium having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to the first team back in 2022, but having only ever made ten senior appearances, he’s spent a lot of time out on the road.
Over the course of his career, the striker has carried out two loan spells, the first with Championship outfit Middlesbrough and most recently last season with Stade Reims in Ligue 1 where he emerged as Will Still’s top goalscorer, and this impressive form has attracted interest back in England.
Sky Sports recently reported that the Blues have shown an interest in the USA international, whilst Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham have also been linked with a move before the end of the window, despite the attacker’s contract with Mikel Arteta’s team not expiring for another two years.
Are Chelsea signing Folarin Balogun?
According to Football Transfers, Balogun has “agreed personal terms” with Chelsea, who are currently “in talks” with Arsenal over a deal for their talented prospect.
Todd Boehly holds an “optimism” that an agreement can be reached, but it’s worth noting that the Gunners aren’t willing to sanction his sale for anything less than their £50m asking price, a sum which chiefs have “no interest” in cashing out.
The Blues have “told” their Premier League rivals that they will only table £30m, but it remains to be seen whether progress could be made for this amount.
During his time at Stade Reims, Balogun racked up an outstanding 25 goal contributions (22 goals and three assists) in 39 appearances which saw him receive four man-of-the-match awards from WhoScored, so he could be an extremely exciting and prolific addition for Pochettino.
The New York native, who has the versatility to operate everywhere across the frontline, also recorded a total of 121 shots over the course of the campaign which was more than any other of his fellow teammates, via FBRef, highlighting his desire to hit the back of the net.
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Sponsored by Adidas, the striker additionally shares the same agent, Elite Project Group, as Romeo Lavia, so this existing and fresh connection that his representative has to the club could give the hierarchy a small advantage when trying to get a deal over the line in the final weeks of the window.
Chelsea are in need of attacking reinforcements following the long-term knee injury to Christopher Nkunku, not to mention that Romelu Lukaku will likely seal a departure having been heavily linked with an exit, and having been hailed a “golden” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Balogun could be the perfect candidate for the boss to bolster his ranks with before September 1st, and by the looks of things, a deal could be one to keep an eye on over the coming days.
