Why Arsenal could sell Folarin Balogun to London rivals

Tottenham supporters like to mock Arsenal’s seemingly amicable relationship with their fierce London rivals, Chelsea. 

While only the strangest of Gooners would admit they have a soft spot for the west London club, their hatred for the Blues certainly doesn’t come close to matching their animosity towards their north London rivals.

It’s not just the “stand up if you hate Tottenham” chants which depict their infrequent unity, but also the work the two clubs have conducted on the transfer front in recent years. Sure, Chelsea supporters have likened Willian, David Luiz, and even Petr Cech (who won a Premier League Golden Glove with Arsenal) to ‘agents’ given that all three signed for the Gunners well beyond their respective apexes, but these moves refused to deter Mikel Arteta and company as they made a move for Jorginho as a Moises Caicedo alternative in the January transfer window.

The Italian certainly hasn’t set the world alight at the Emirates, but given the fee and the expectations with which he arrived, many would argue that was a shrewd piece of business from the north London club.

We’ve seen Arsenal help out Chelsea by taking some of their scrap metal off their hands, could the Blues now return the favour?

Why Arsenal could sell Folarin Balogun to London rivals

Labelling Folarin Balogun as ‘scrap metal’ would be harsh, but he’s certainly a disposable asset. He’s years away from his peak, and his stellar season at Reims increased his value exponentially. With Arsenal content with their current forward options, they’re happy to let Balogun go this summer despite his obvious talent.

However, selling someone whom they value highly has not been easy. A whole host of clubs have been linked with the 22-year-old, but none have been able to match Arsenal’s valuation, which is believed to be close to £50m. Given the climate of the current market, the Gunners are well within their rights to demand such a lofty fee.

With the summer transfer window winding down and Arsenal potentially missing out on a lot of cash if they fail to let Balogun depart, we could see that asking price come down in the next two weeks. Well, that’s unless Chelsea make a move.

While AS Monaco and Fulham have been linked with the USMNT striker, neither club is going to pay anything close to Arsenal’s reported valuation. Chelsea, on the other hand, might. Despite signing Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal, the Blues remain short up top given Armando Broja’s injury woes and there’s a real concern over where the goals are going to come from at Stamford Bridge.

https://twitter.com/TheSecretScout_/status/1692508210299621395

“We are working to see all the options that we can manage on the market, to see the potentials and reality,” Mauricio Pochettino said after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at West Ham. Chelsea may well be in for another #9 before the end of the window, but another playmaker might also be on the agenda given Christopher Nkunku and Carney Chukwuemeka’s injuries.

Sky Sports understand the Blues do boast an interest in Balogun, but that’s as far as it goes at this stage. Whether they’d be willing to help the Gunners out in such a big way by matching their valuation remains to be seen. There will undoubtedly be some trepidation, even if Balogun has the capacity to aid Pochettino’s debut season at the club by scoring a hatful of goals.

Arsenal will hope the Blues follow up on their initial interest, as they’ll want to maximise the fee they garner for Balogun’s sale. With the striker’s exit inevitable before the end of the window, Arsenal risk losing out on millions should they let the transfer drag into the final couple of days or hours. While teams might grow desperate in their search for their next goalscorer, the Gunners’ desperation to sell will also increase.

Fortunately, the 22-year-old has plenty of suitors. Interest will be rampant up until the deadline.