Inter Milan join Chelsea in race for Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun
Chelsea have been joined by Inter Milan in the race for Arsenal star Folarin Balogun in the ongoing transfer window, according to Sky Sports (h/t Mirror).
The Blues held talks with the USMNT star’s camp recently regarding a switch from the Gunners. However, now, the Stamford Bridge will have to compete with the Nerazzurri, who are seriously interested in the striker.
This summer, the Serie A giants were looking to bolster their forward line with the addition of Romelu Lukaku to their ranks. However, the Italian outfit no longer want to acquire the Belgium international’s services and have switched focus to the North London side’s 22-year-old.
Furthermore, Chelsea and Inter are not the only teams eyeing Balogun. AC Milan and RB Leipzig also have him on their radar. Olympique Marseille and AS Monaco also want to take the forward back to Ligue 1.
The USMNT star made his way through the youth ranks at Arsenal. Over the years, the 22-year-old has shown immense potential. However, game time at the North London side had been hard to come by for him in previous seasons.
In the 2022/23 term, Balogun opted to join Stade Reims on loan from the Gunners. The youngster made the most of his chances in France, scoring 22 goals and providing three assists in 39 appearances in all competitions.
At Chelsea, we have struggled for a quality number nine for some time now. Our attack is seemingly crying out for a prolific striker. Unfortunately, the likes of Lukaku and Pierre-Emerik Aubameyang have been unable to do much.
The Blues played Kai Havertz up front on a number of occasions last season. He was the best option at our disposal. However, the Stamford Bridge side sold him to Arsenal in the ongoing transfer window.
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Balogun has had just one good season in top-flight football so far. The USMNT star is relatively inexperienced at the moment. Will the West London club opt to sign him to solve the attacking crisis? Only time will tell.