It’s been an interesting summer transfer window so far at the Emirates Stadium, with players coming and going ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign. Arsenal caught the eye with some strong performances last season, as they narrowly missed out on the Premier League title under the watchful eye of Mikel Arteta. One player that would have been hoping to force his way into Arteta’s plans for the new league campaign was Folarin Balogun, who impressed whilst out on loan with Ligue 1 side, Stade Reims.
Balogun netted 22 goals in 39 appearances for the French side, and would have fancied his chances of challenging the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah for the starting striker role in the Arsenal team. However, that hasn’t been the case over pre-season, with Nketiah starting ahead of Balogun with Jesus out of action through injury. This has seen Balogun voice his intentions to leave the club in the near future, which is a somewhat understandable stance from a player that has shown that he can perform to a high standard at a good level of football.
It’s been revealed by mybettingsites.co.uk that Arsenal are priced at 9/2 on Fitzdares to win the 2023/24 Premier League title. Below, you’ll find the betting odds for the rest of the title contenders this term.
- Manchester City @ 4/6
- Arsenal @ 9/2
- Liverpool @ 8/1
- Manchester United @ 10/1
- Chelsea @ 16/1
- Newcastle United @ 16/1
Odds displayed are correct as of 11:20 am, Thursday 17th August 2023. Odds are subject to change.
The 22-year-old has made just ten senior appearances for the Gunners, and his strong run of form with Stade Reims last season saw him rewarded with his first international call-up to the USA senior team. Balogun is a player that has real quality, and it seems as though he won’t be short of potential offers before the summer transfer window reaches a conclusion. We’ll take you through some of the potential destinations for Balogun this summer.
Fulham
Fulham are reportedly keen on striking a transfer agreement with Arsenal for Balogun’s services, with the Cottagers seemingly preparing for life without influential forward, Aleksandar Mitrović, who looks set to be the latest player to make the big-money move over to Saudi Arabia.
Mitrovic has been key to Fulham’s success in recent years, and is a tough player to replace for any team. Balogun has a proven record in front of goal in senior football though, and he’ll feel as though he has the quality to shine in the Premier League.
If Fulham are willing to pay what Arsenal are wanting, then this is a move that is likely to work for all parties involved.
Tottenham Hotspur
This seems highly unlikely to be the destination in which Balogun heads towards before the summer transfer window draws to a close. Spurs are obviously looking for a replacement for Harry Kane, who left the club in favour of a move to German giants Bayern Munich. It’s a sizeable void for any player to fill this season, but Balogun has age on his side if he was to make the short trip across London.
Spurs are reportedly keen on signing Balogun, but it seems a tough ask for them to be able to convince their rivals to sell a promising young talent to them on a permanent basis.
West Ham United
We’ve already seen these two clubs in business for Declan Rice, and the Hammers are reportedly keen on a deal to sign Balogun permanently, although their interest hasn’t resulted in a formal bid being made for his services as of yet.
David Moyes’ side lack attacking depth within their squad, and Balogun would add much-needed pace and clinicalness in front of goal if he was to arrive at the London Stadium.
AS Monaco
The French side were clearly impressed by Balogun when he came up against them, as they submitted a £34m bid for his services. However, that bid was rejected by Arsenal, who are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of £50m. At the age of 22, it’s a fair price in which Arsenal are commanding for Balogun, especially when you consider that he’s already showcased his quality at a high level in Ligue 1 previously.
It’ll be interesting to see whether Balogun would be tempted by the potential move away from the Premier League again, as he lacks minutes in the English top-flight, which will be frustrating.
