Arsenal are extremely active in the summer market with Edu now looking into several possible outings including Juventus target Folarin Balogun being on their transfer list.
That is according to Sky Sports, which reports that Arsenal have transfer listed Balogun and a host of first-team players. Manager Mikel Arteta has given Gunners sporting director Edu the green light to cull his squad. Edu is now actively seeking out exit routes for several stars.
Balogun would be the big-ticket item should Edu manage to clear the books of those Arsenal have now transfer listed. The Emirates Stadium team value the striker at £50m after enjoying a sensational season on loan to Stade de Reims. He struck 22 goals in the 2022/23 season.
Why Pele Is Overrated.
Balogun headlines Arsenal’s transfer list with a £50m asking price
Arsenal are also looking into selling Cedric Soares, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and their club-record signing, Nicolas Pepe. North London chiefs broke the bank to sign Pepe for Unai Emery in August 2019. They agreed on a £72m deal with LOSC Lille to land the winger.
READ MORE: All Arsenal confirmed signings and transfers out in 2023/24
MORE ARSENAL STORIES
Marquinhos even faces an uncertain future just a year after joining from Sau Paulo for £3m. Arsenal are holding internal discussions about the Brazilian’s future with another loan or a permanent move on the cards. He spent the latter half of 2022/23 on loan to Norwich City.
The 20-year-old offered the Canaries one goal and one assist through his 11 appearances at Carrow Road in the Championship. He had played six times under Arteta for one goal and an assist, too, before leaving on loan. But Marquinhos only started three of his Arsenal outings.
Balogun, meanwhile, boasts two goals and one assist across 10 first-team appearances after emerging from Arsenal’s academy. Arteta has further only started the 22-year-old in two of his outings, lasting 209 minutes in total, before loans to Middlesbrough and Stade de Reims.
Juventus are among the European teams targeting Balogun
Several European teams, including some giants of the continental game, could now answer Arsenal’s search for Balogun’s transfer this summer. Rudy Galetti reported during June that Serie A squad Juventus are tracking the USA international for in case Dusan Vlahovic leaves.
READ MORE: Everything we know about Arsenal’s 2023 pre-season tour
Juventus might have to deal with an Italian tussle for his signature, though. The Mirror also reported in June that Scudetto champions SSC Napoli are ready to fight AC Milan to secure Balogun’s transfer from Arsenal. The Azzurri view him as a likely Victor Osimhen successor.
Additionally, The Sun credited AC Milan with an interest in Balogun’s transfer from Arsenal later in June. But it added that the Rossoneri’s San Siro rivals, Inter Milan, also have eyes on a deal. While the Gunners’ valuation had put Crystal Palace and RB Leipzig off of any swoop.
Arsenal believe they can demand a high sum for Balogun’s transfer as he scored 22 goals in 39 games at Stade de Reims, even though his contract expires in 2025. The striker hit 21 of his efforts over 37 Ligue 1 games. He also scored in his second game for the USA this June.
Balogun even impressed Arteta through the Arsenal talent’s loan transfer to Stade de Reims. The Spaniard hailed the striker for having ‘something special’ in February after his 14th goal in Ligue 1. It made him the division’s top scorer at the time and he ended the term in fourth.