Folarin Balogun seems destined to leave Arsenal this summer after manager Mikel Arteta sidelined the young gun from Monday’s training session.
According to football.london, the 22-year-old trained separately from the rest of the group yesterday as speculation of his imminent exit ramps up.
Balogun has returned to north London this summer following a jaw-dropping loan spell at Reims last season.
In 37 league appearances for the Ligue 1 side, he netted 21 goals and provided three assists, hoping it would offer his Gunners career a lifeline.
Despite his sublime form in France’s top flight, his immediate future in the Premier League is seemingly dead in the water.
With Arteta boasting a wealth of attacking potential within his squad, there’s no place for the United States striker.
Arsenal are open to selling their homegrown youngster, but they value him at a staggering £50 million, which could be a potential obstacle to his departure.
Inter Milan have taken an interest in Balogun after pulling the plug on their pursuit of Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku was the Italians’ top target at the start of the summer. But their inability to find common ground with Chelsea, compounded by the Belgian’s indecisiveness, has seen the deal collapse.
Balogun has leapfrogged other candidates on Beppe Marotta’s shortlist.
However, the frontman’s price tag could throw a spanner in the works, given Inter’s precarious financial state.
Arsenal seem unwilling to budge on a hefty valuation of their prized asset despite writing him off for next season.
Balogun failed to feature for Arteta’s team in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday after being handed roughly 25 minutes of play in a 5-0 thumping of MLS All-Stars last week.
His omission against the Red Devils was the first sign of the Gunners’ intent to recoup some cash after a £200m outlay on three top-class signings.
Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz have joined Arsenal this summer in the club’s most aggressive recruitment campaign in the post-Arsene Wenger era.
