{"id":626832,"date":"2023-08-20T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2023-08-20T13:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=626832"},"modified":"2023-08-20T09:00:55","modified_gmt":"2023-08-20T13:00:55","slug":"chelsea-interested-in-folarin-balogun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/08\/20\/chelsea-interested-in-folarin-balogun\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Interest is Real&#8217; Chelsea Are Now Targeting &#8216;Incredible&#8217; Striker Valued at \u00a350 million"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Chelsea are expected to bid for Arsenal&#8217;s talented striker Folarin Balogun with the USA international attracting interest from top clubs around Europe. As reported by\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/skysports_sheth\/status\/1692576403588366702\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sky Sports presenter Dharmesh Sheth<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Chelsea&#8217;s interest in the attacker is real although no formal bid has yet been received by the Gunners.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=&#8221;soe\/chelsea&#8221; size=&#8221;350&#215;300&#8243; site_id=&#8221;lastwordonsports&#8221;]<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Chelsea Hold a Real Interest in Arsenal Striker Folarin Balogun<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Will Arsenal UNDERPERFORM This Season Under Mikel Arteta? - Premier League Predictions\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GpBvap7uHAo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Folarin Balogun Open to Permanent Move<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1680472583463129088\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to Fabrizio Romano<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, the 22-year-old striker is open to a permanent move away from the Emirates, with a move to the continent always looking his most likely next step. However, the American now finds himself on Chelsea&#8217;s radar, with the West London club looking to add another young striker. Chelsea have already brought in Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/05\/27\/christopher-nkunku-pochettino-first-chelsea-signing\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2018Medical Already Completed\u2019: \u00a352+ Million Star Set to Become Pochettino\u2019s First Chelsea Signing<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After shoring up their midfield with the additions of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, Chelsea look set to bolster attacking options with Balogun, who proved on his loan spell at Reims last season that he has an eye for goal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fierce Competition<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Chelsea are not the only club that see real potential in Balogun, whose contract expires in two seasons&#8217; time. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have been busy this summer fending off interest for the striker from European clubs.\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1688814047272071168\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AS Monaco\u00a0<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">have had an initial offer rebuffed from the Gunners, while\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1686044588669075456\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Inter Milan\u00a0<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">see the striker as a &#8220;priority target.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/07\/16\/arsenal-folarin-balogun-exit\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2018Final Conditions: Fabrizio Romano Gives Arsenal Transfer Update as Special Emirates Star Closes in on Move to European Giants<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, no club thus far has met Arsenal&#8217;s \u00a350 million valuation of the striker, according to\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skysports.com\/football\/news\/11095\/12916914\/folarin-balogun-super-complete-striker-faces-uncertain-future-but-arsenal-could-regret-letting-him-go\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sky Sports.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Although neither Inter Milan or AS Monaco have the financial pulling power of Chelsea, both clubs would be attractive propositions for Balogun. Inter Milan have no natural partner for star striker Lautaro Martinez with Romelu Lukaku no longer in the frame &#8211; and AS Monaco would give Balogun an opportunity to return to a league where he was successful last season.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Value for Money?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">There is no doubt that paying \u00a350 million for a striker who has only managed two Premier League appearances in which he failed to score on both occasions is a gamble for any potential buyer. But Balogun consistently showed his class and ruthless eye for goal last season in Ligue 1, where he scored 21 goals in 37 appearances for an 11th-place Reims side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mikel Arteta described the ambitious 22-year-old as &#8220;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.arsenal.com\/news\/arteta-what-balogun-doing-incredible\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">incredible.&#8221;<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0A potential move for the Arsenal striker to London rivals Chelsea would surely get Arsenal fans extremely worried about his potential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Image Credit:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Chelsea_Football_Club,_Stamford_Bridge_(Ank_kumar)_22.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ank Kumar,\u00a0<\/span><\/a><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:CC-BY-SA-4.0\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">CC BY-SA 4.0\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chelsea are expected to bid for Arsenal&#8217;s talented striker Folarin Balogun with the USA international attracting interest from top clubs around Europe. As reported by\u00a0Sky Sports presenter Dharmesh Sheth, Chelsea&#8217;s interest in the attacker is real although no formal bid has yet been received by the Gunners. [metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=&#8221;soe\/chelsea&#8221; size=&#8221;350&#215;300&#8243; site_id=&#8221;lastwordonsports&#8221;] Chelsea Hold a Real [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4704,"featured_media":626076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,11,7188],"tags":[8611,4242],"class_list":["post-626832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-premier-league","category-arsenal","category-chelsea","category-rumours","tag-chelsea-transfer-rumours","tag-folarin-balogun"],"modified_by":"Ricky Carroll, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4704"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=626832"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626832\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/626076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=626832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=626832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=626832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}