Arsenal look to cash in on Brentford target Folarin Balogun ‘as they demand at least £8m’ for the 19-year-old who has yet to play for first-team
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Arsenal are targeting to make at least £8million for highly-rated teenager Folarin Balogun, according to reports.
The asking price for the 19-year-old is steep, considering he has never played a first-team game and can leave for free next summer.
Balogun refused to sign new terms with the club in January after failing to get assurances of first-team football but claims he is happy to see out his current deal until 2021, according to Sky Sports.
Teenager Folarin Balogun could be on his way out of Arsenal this summer for £8million
Mikel Arteta has given chances to several young players since replacing Unai Emery last December, but Balogun is yet to make the step up with plenty of illustrious names ahead of him in the pecking order.
The New York-born forward believes his future lies elsewhere, with a host of Europe’s leading clubs interested in him.
Premier League champions Liverpool are said to have been keeping tabs on the youngster, while clubs in Germany have also kept the forward on their radar.
Manager Mikel Arteta is yet to give Balogun the chance to make his senior debut for Arsenal
He scored 10 goals in just 15 appearances for Arsenal’s under-23s before season was curtailed
Brentford, who are just one game away from sealing promotion into the Premier League, previously tabled a £5m offer for Balogun but could not agree terms with Arsenal.
Balogun’s exit would see Arsenal lose a player rated as one of the best young attacking talents in England.
The 19-year-old scored 28 goals in 28 youth appearances for Arsenal last season, including 25 in just 19 games at under-18 level.
This term Balogun scored another 10 goals in just 15 appearances for Arsenal’s under-23s before the youth campaign was curtailed in May, bringing his campaign to an end.
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