Why Inter might want Folarin Balogun over a deal for Romelu Lukaku
"Whatever happens, I'm cool with it", he said when quizzed on his future this week.
The youngster has been one of the more talked about strikers across Europe this summer after a sensational loan spell in Ligue 1 with Reims last season put him on the radar of several top clubs on the continent.
Balogun joined the French side with the target of proving to Mikel Arteta that he was ready for first-team football. His haul of 21 league goals certainly proved that, but now the Arsenal boss looks like he’ll face a fight to keep him.
Arteta was coy on the subject this week, simply responding by saying “we will see what happens” with regards to the young striker's future at the club, but interest from several sides, notably Inter Milan this week, could force his hand one way or the other.
The Nerazzurri are keen to add at least one new striker to their ranks after opting against re-signing Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku who spent last season on loan with the Serie A side. Balogun has emerged as a target, although, he would be expected to cost in the region of £50 million, which is no small fee.
Few would have expected him to be attracting such interest 12 months ago after the Arsenal academy graduate failed to set the world alight during a loan spell in the Championship with Middlesbrough, scoring just three goals in 18 appearances.
However, he benefitted from a far more settled environment at Reims last season with the revered William Still at the helm. He played in 37 of their 38 Ligue 1 matches, while only teammate Yunis Abdelhamid accumulated more league minutes overall.
While his consistency both in terms of performances and goals scored would have put him back in Arteta’s thinking, it’s most likely not going to be enough to forge him a regular role in the team next season.
Last season at Reims, he led the line as the club’s chief centre-forward, most often in a 4-2-3-1. That role belongs to Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal, while the North London side’s decision to offer fellow 22-year-old Eddie Nketiah a brand new five-year deal plus the club’s iconic No.14 shirt in May indicates that they’ve put their eggs in his basket over that of Balogun’s.
Balogun has already made it clear that he won’t accept another loan move, especially as his stock is so high following his form last season plus his showing in this summer’s CONCACAF.
With first-team chances at Arsenal set to be sparse and a refusal to again go out on loan, Inter’s interest looks like it could be the best option for him, but would their decision to go for him over Lukaku prove to be a wise one?
Balogun certainly bettered the Belgium international from a goalscoring perspective, with his 21 trumping Lukaku’s league return of just 10. The USA international also performed better in terms of registering a higher xG, more shots and shots on target per 90.
However, perhaps due to playing more often in a front two, Lukaku did offer more from a creative perspective. He registered more assists and a higher shot-creating actions per 90 average. He also played in a division that’s widely accepted to be much tougher than Ligue 1.
Even with that, though, it’s still easy to see why Inter might see Balogun as a more suitable long-term option.
Balogun's underlying numbers suggest last season’s breakout was more than just a flash in the pan, and being eight years Lukaku’s junior means the club would almost certainly get more bang for their buck than if they opted to strike up another deal for the declining Belgian.
