Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun is ‘ready to push’ for an exit this summer once transfer talks get underway, with Inter Milan putting him ‘in pole position’ on their list of options.
That’s according to Corriere dello Sport, who say the Italian side are set to hold a summer over their plans to add a striker to their squad.
They had been targeting Romelu Lukaku on a permanent deal but have now abandoned that potential deal after becoming enraged by his decision to talk to other clubs, such as Juventus and AC Milan.
The club’s hierarchy have economic demands they need to take into consideration but are keen on Balogun, who is in pole position in their thoughts.
While he is not the preferred choice for manager Simone Inzaghi, he is for those above him, who believe he has several factors working in his favour.
Chief among them is his age, with eth American only 22-years-old and thus still a player who can be developed. His attributes on the pitch also fit exactly what the club requires.
The big obstacle is the price, with Arsenal asking for over €40m after the striker’s successful loan spell in France last season.
That’s a figure Inter don’t want to pay but one angle that could be ‘exploited’ is the fact that Balogun could be ‘ready to push’ for an exit. He recently sat out of the friendly with Manchester United and started training on his own, an indication he might not be part of Mikel Arteta’s plans.
The belief is that Balogun is starting to show impatience with his situation and thus could push Arsenal to let him go once Inter make a definitive move.
Their idea is to offer a similar deal to what they were proposing for Lukaku, €35m between a loan and an obligation to buy at the end of it including bonuses.
Whether that’s appealing to Arsenal remains to be seen but Inter certainly believe Balogun’s growing frustration is something they could exploit to get a deal over the line.
