Milan are casting a wide net to find a new young center-forward that would join Olivier Giroud in their frontline next season, and Folarin Balogun is the latest name to pop up on their radar. He’s currently on loan at Reims from Arsenal, La Gazzetta dello Sport relays.
The youngster has found his footing in Ligue 1. He has recorded 15 goals in 25 appearances, and he’s 3 shy of the leading scorer Kylian Mbappé. He’ll head back to London in the summer. He’d have to compete for minutes with a host of talented forwards if he stayed.
Balogun might be made available, but Arsenal would ask Milan and other suitors for a robust sum to sell him. His valuation is currently €20/25M, but it will easily increase if he keeps producing.
The starlet debuted with the first team two years ago and logged ten total appearances. He spent six months on loan at Middlesborough in the Championship last season, registering 3 goals and 3 assists in 18 games. He has hit the net 6 times in 11 caps with England U-21.
The Rossoneri are keeping tabs on several talents to address the role. RB Salzburg’s Noah Okafor and Lille’s Jonathan David are high on their shortlist, but they are also the most expensive ones. The latest addition to it is Universidad de Chile’s 19-year-old Dario Osorio.
Our Take on Milan and Balogun
It’s easy to imagine Arsenal will keep him in the squad after a stellar campaign, or that he’ll transfer for a very high sum. It’s generally too expensive for Serie A teams to buy players from the Premier League. The Rossoneri will be extra careful this time after what happened with Charles De Ketelaere.
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