Arsenal set stunning price for highly rated English prospect amid interest from German club
Arsenal will reportedly demand €40m (£35m) to sell striker Folarin Balogun amid interest from German club RB Leipzig.
The Gunners are likely to offload Balogun this summer despite his superb form on loan at Reims with Mikel Arteta planning to raise transfer funds for other players.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed an excellent campaign in Ligue 1 and netted his 18th goal of the season at the weekend against Brest.
That means Balogun is now just one strike behind top scorers Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David in the French top-flight.
According to reports, Balogun does not want to go back to Arsenal if he is only going to be the third-choice forward.
Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are both ahead of him in the pecking order and the Gunners are willing to listen to offers above €40m, report Sky in Germany.
Bundesliga side RB Leipzig have already enquired about signing Balogun to replace Christopher Nkunku, who is heading to Chelsea.
🔴 Arsenal to demand over €40m for Folarin Balogun with RB Leipzig reportedly enquiring about signing the forward to replace Christopher Nkunku
[via @philipphinze24 at Sky Germany] pic.twitter.com/LqSM2B54c4— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 12, 2023
Balogun opened up about his future last month and said: ‘Contractually I have to go back [to Arsenal] because the loan was only for one year so that was always the agreement.
‘But I wouldn’t, um, I’m not sure what is going to happen in the future. A lot could happen in football, a lot could change. It just depends on the conversations we have between me and the club in the summer, and we’ll see what happens.’
Asked if he might like to return to France next season – either on loan or in a permanent deal – Balogun added: ‘Yeah I mean there’s no door that’s closed.
‘Of course I have had a good year here and to a lot of people it makes sense for me to come back here. So yeah I mean I don’t know what the future will bring.’
