Exclusive: Arsenal told to set £50m fee for attacker ‘forcing’ Edu into unwanted sale; must use Man Utd target as price guide

Arsenal’s prospects of keeping Folarin Balogun appear to be dwindling – and his contract situation at Emirates Stadium is likely to force his sale this summer, according to Charles Watts.

The New York born striker has recently declared his international allegiances to USA, despite having won 13 caps for England Under-21s.

And he’s hit the ground for USMNT, scoring his first goal for the country in their Nations League final win over Canada.

On the club front, his future remains at a crossroads too. Highly-rated by the Gunners, he was loaned out last season to Ligue 1 side Reims to gain more first-team opportunities.

However, the loan went perhaps far better than anyone expected. And the 22-year-old’s record of 22 goals in 39 appearances saw him finish the season as the fourth top scorer in France’s top flight.

As a result, demand for the striker’s services has increased to never-before-seen levels.

To that end, the likes of Juventus, AC Milan and RB Leipzig are among the sides reportedly keen on his services.

In an ideal world, however, the Gunners would love to keep Balogun and tie him to a new contract.

However, his reluctance to discuss a new deal, which has two years left to run, together with the growing demand for his services, including from clubs in the Premier League, means Arsenal could well be backed into a corner.

Watts believes sporting director Edu should get tough on the player and let his suitors know of a £50m asking price.

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Folarin Balogun is forcing Arsenal’s hand

Discussing Balogun’s future, Watts admits his situation is starting to cause concern at Arsenal.

“Balogun’s contract situation is forcing Arsenal’s hand a little bit. Because at the moment, from what we understand, he’s not overly keen on signing a new deal. He’s only got two years left on his contract. He’s coming off an incredible season in France, his value is sky high because of that. And if Arsenal don’t do something this summer, he’s suddenly down to the last year next summer.

“We’ve got no indication that he’s going to sign a new deal and with his determination, because he’s a very ambitious guy, to want regular first-team minutes this season, that kind of forces Arsenal’s hands and sometimes, reluctantly, you have to sell.

“It’s not for certain, but I think this summer, Arsenal might have to make a decision that ideally they probably wouldn’t have wanted to but because of his contract situation and because of his determination to be playing.

“Can you turn down a good offer if it arrives this summer? I don’t think you can from a business point of view. You’ve got [Gabriel] Jesus who’s going to be the main man up front, you’ve got [Kai] Havertz who’s come in, and who can play number nine if need be. You’ve obviously got Eddie Nketiah there as well, who has just signed a new long-term contract, which means Arsenal are under no pressure to sell him.

“Balogun’s only got two years left. So the pressure is different. Arsenal have spent a lot of money and they need to bring some money in and Balogun is a very, very sellable asset and an asset, if you don’t sell this summer, whose value is only going to decrease due to his contract.

“If he had a four-year deal, I don’t think I would consider selling them this summer. Why would you? You keep him around and give him a really good opportunity to make his mark. But I think because he’s only got two years left that it might mean that he has to be sold. And I’m sure if that happens, Arsenal will protect themselves and look to get maybe some sort of buy-back clause like they’ve done for a few youngsters in the past but it all depends on the offers…”

Edu told to use Man Utd target as guide for Balogun price

As for Balogun’s next club, Watts says West Ham could be a suitable Premier League destination for the striker. However, he is imploring Mikel Arteta to set a higher fee than £30m with Man Utd-linked Rasmus Hojlund as a barometer.

“He’s definitely got clubs in Italy in for him and clubs in the Premier League from what I heard,” Watts added. “West Ham is certainly one club who have been looking around for a striker and he would fit the bill there.

“£30m, that’s a realistic price tag but then you’re looking at [Rasmus] Hojlund, he scored nine goals in Serie A last season and he’s been tipped at about £60-£70m. Balogun scored 20-odd goals in France last year and he’s at a Premier League team. Is £30m enough? I’m not sure. I initially thought £30m was a good price tag but then having spoken with some people about it and listened to Arsenal fans about it I’m beginning to think realistically he is a £50m striker in today’s market.

“Shouldn’t Arsenal be looking for around £50m for Balogun? Mudryk went for €100m and had not played outside of Ukraine last summer.

“Look at what Balogun did last year. Given the price tags that players are going for at the moment, I don’t think it’s a stupid figure to suggest something in the realms of £50m would be his market value.”

Watts added: “The move to the US, for him, commercially is so huge. He’s going to be the poster boy for the World Cup in the US. ‘Brand Balogun’ is just going to grow and grow and grow over the next few years. And that’s got to be taken into account as well surely.

“Maybe £50m is the right sort of price tag for Balogun.”

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