Fabrizio Romano claims that Folarin Balogun has as many as 15 bids on the table for his signature, but he loves Arsenal Football Club.
The young striker is into the final six months of his playing contract, and is allowed to discuss terms with foreign clubs over a free transfer for the end of the season.
Despite the offers on the table, Romano insists that the striker isn’t close to agreeing anything, and his love for Arsenal means that we still have every chance of securing his signature, but only if we play him.
Balogun is yet to make his Premier League debut for the club, nor has he been given the nod to start in the Europa League or League Cup where he has picked up minutes from the bench.
The 19 year-old has impressed when featuring however, and is claimed to believe that he can add to the first-team, and Romano insists that the Gunners can only persuade him to stay by granting him minutes, an opportunity they overlooked against Newcastle in the FA Cup last weekend.
Romano told AFTV as seen on their YouTube channel: “My personal opinion, Balogun is an amazing talent and it’s crazy to arrive in January negotiating with his agents and not having a new contract one or two years ago.
“You need to be fast when you have this kind of talent. The situation, I’m told Balogun is not close to signing with another club.
“He has like 15 bids on the table from Italian clubs, English clubs, German clubs. Many clubs are talking with his agent because now he’s a potential free agent for the summer.
“They’re talking to his agent and offering him some different, he has some big clubs who see him as part of the future of the club and some mid-table clubs trying to get him to make him play. Balogun wants to play, his priority is to play.
“In the Europa League he was amazing but he was playing 60 minutes in total and that’s why the player is not so happy. He’s still open to talking with Arsenal about a new contract if they will let him play.
“He’s just not happy and talking to other clubs just because he’s not playing. At the moment the situation is so open.
“If Mikel will change the situation and let him play in the next weeks for sure the situation can change and he can sit with Arsenal and discuss a new contract.
“If not and if he will continue not playing, I think the player will go because he has many bids. He can decide important English clubs who see him for the future or going to play in a mid-table club to be a top star.
“He loves Arsenal, I heard he loves the club and would like to stay but he’s just not playing. For a young talent it’s terrible not to play.
“That’s why he’s waiting to understand what’s going on. He has the opportunity to stay if Arteta will make him play. I’m told he wants to be part of the project of the club immediately.
“Obviously you can say he’s so young and Arsenal have many players in attacking roles but he wants to feel like part of the project also for the present.
“He feels he’s ready to help the club and wants to play. We have to respect it. At the moment it’s still open. We will see in the coming weeks what’s going on.”
Is Balogun good enough to pick up first-team minutes? Is there simply no room for him because of Eddie Nketiah’s role at present?
Patrick