Brighton have discovered how much they would need to pay in order to secure the services of transfer target Folarin Balogun.
Football.London reported that Arsenal are demanding an eight-figure sum for the prodigious centre-forward, having given short shrift to a £3m offer from Sheffield United.
The Seagulls’ interest in the 19-year-old was initially reported by The Beautiful Game Podcast at the start of this month, with Sussex Live also vouching for Albion’s desire to sign the youngster.
Balogun has yet to make a senior appearance for Arsenal but he boasts a tremendous scoring record for the Gunners’ youth teams, with 51 goals in 72 appearances across their under-18 and under-23 sides (as per TransferMarkt).
A scout report in the Daily Mail said that there are “shades of Thierry Henry” to his playing style, quite the compliment given that the Frenchman is the club’s all-time leading scorer, while current Arsenal hotshot Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has taken to Twitter in the past to rave about the 19-year-old’s talents.
Perhaps buoyed by such endorsements, along with his scoring return at underage level, the teenager has demanded assurances of a pathway to the Gunners’ first team if he is to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, where his current deal expires next summer.
According to Football.London, the north London club are not prepared to sell him for less than what they believe he is worth, even with the risk of him walking away for free in 2021, and could be willing to wait another few months to decide on his future as that may give them time to try and broker a new contract for the teenage talent.
Balogun’s scoring record speaks volumes for his potential but that is all that Brighton would be going on if they are to sign him in the current transfer window.
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With Arsenal demanding an eight-figure fee for the 19-year-old, it seems hard for the Seagulls to justify paying £10m or more for someone who has never played at first team level, especially in a transfer market that has been impacted negatively by the global pandemic.
Brighton fans, what do you make of Arsenal’s asking price for Balogun? Comment below with your views!
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