PL club plots move to sign 21-year-old Arsenal prodigy this summer - Reports
Crystal Palace have reportedly set sights on signing Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun. The 21-year-old is seen as the perfect forward to lead their attack from next season.
As per a report in Football Insider, Crystal Palace are ready to go all out to sign Balogun this summer. The Eagles are confident of landing the Arsenal player, who has been told he can leave.
The report adds that Mikel Arteta's side will hold out for £35 million to sell their 21-year-old talent. However, the Premier League side is not alone in the race, as West Ham United and some Bundesliga clubs are also interested in him.
Balogun was on loan at Reims last season and finished with 22 goals in 39 appearances for the French side. He has caught the eye of several sides, and his decision to switch nationality to the United States brought him more limelight.
Arsenal were keeping an eye on their loanee Folarin Balogun
Mikel Arteta spoke about Folarin Balogun earlier this year and admitted that they were keeping tabs on the striker. He added that they were convinced by his choice of a Ligue1 loan, and it worked out well for all.
Speaking to Arsenal's official website, the manager revealed that he had held talks with the striker before he moved on loan. He added that the youngster had a clear idea of what was needed and how his career was moving on the right track.
"I'm so happy for him. He's a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He's really ambitious, really committed, and really brave. We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and the other choices he had. He was so convinced. I'm really happy for him because he deserves what he's getting."
The Spaniard continued:
"When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it's just incredible. It's very rare to see that. But he's got something special, that's why we decided to give him a long-term contract and have faith in him and give him the long period that he needs now, because the loan he is having now is really different to the one he had before at Middlesbrough."
He added:
"He had some scars from that period. There were moments when he suffered, moments when he played, and when he didn't. Moments when he played in what he believes is not his best position. He threw all those excuses out and went into the next experience. He put that behind him, but using exactly what worked for him, what didn't work, looked in the mirror and moved to the next one. He's done that really, really well."
AC Milan and Inter Milan are also interested in the forward and have set their sights on the Arsenal starlet as they look to bolster their attack. The San Siro sides believe that the Ligue1 loan has done a lot of good for the striker, as per English journalist Alan Nixon.