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By Peter Akinbo.
Serie A giants Inter Milan have joined the race to acquire Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, who has continued to attract a lot of interests due to his successful loan spell with Stade de Reims, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter will take on AC Milan in pursuit of the Nigeria-eligible striker, who has attracted their attention.
The 21-year-old is having a standout season with Reims, netting 10 goals and providing two assists in 16 Ligue 1 games, breaking several records in the process.
His impressive performances have understandably caught the attention of several top clubs, although the two rival Italian outfits have shown the most interest.
The Gunners reportedly value Balogun, a product of their Hale End academy, at £34m. The loanee is unlikely to return to Arsenal permanently due to tough competition from Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, who are the Gunners’ established first-team strikers. This raises the possibility that Balogun could be sold at the end of the season.
Despite the potential for Arsenal to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, it may not be easy to decide whether or not to offload Balogun. After all, parting with a promising young player such as him could be seen as a poor move if he is sold to one of their European competitors.
However, his impressive performances this season have attracted considerable attention and any funds accrued from his sale could prove too alluring for them to ignore. With Inter battling city rivals Milan in pursuit of Balogun, it is possible that competitive bidding could transpire, with Arsenal likely to sell if a substantial offer comes their way.
Notwithstanding what may happen, it is evident that Balogun has an illustrious future ahead of him, and his subsequent steps will be intently monitored by fans as well as pundits alike as the Super Eagles faithful continue to hope he pledges allegiance for the Green and White ahead of England or USA.