Arsenal of England youngster, Folarin Balogun is attracting fervid transfer attention from Swansea City, with a view towards luring the 19-year-old Nigerian-born lad over within the ongoing transfer window or next, megasportsarena.com reports.
Balogun is already highly-rated at Emirates Stadium, where he has been knocking repeatedly on the door of The Gunners’ main team, but reports indicate that he has just six months left to run on his contract and has yet to agree a new deal that would see him become a full professional.
Balogun, who has scored two goals in four Europa League appearances from the bench this season and was a 77th-minute substitute in Arsenal’s 4-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City last month, is available for Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round tie with Newcastle United on Saturday.
The youngster, however, is said to be cautious over accepting terms of a new contract with the London-based club due to his inability to get a permanent spot in the main team, which is said to have left his disappointed and eager to get game time elsewhere.
A report by Football Insider has now disclosed that Swansea are interested in offering Balogun an escape route within the coming days and The Swans have already opened formal contact with the fast-rising attacker, who is rated among the most promising whiz-kids at Arsenal.
Football Insider adds: “The Championship side – who were relegated from the Premier League in 2018 – are keen to add to their attacking options this month, and looked set to signing Michael Obafemi before the Southampton forward suffered an injury.
“That has seen the Liberty Stadium outfit – who sit second in the Championship table, four points behind leaders Norwich – turn their attention to Balogun, who has scored 55 goals in 82 games for the Gunners’ youth teams.”
An additional report by Sky Sports revealed: “Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is increasingly likely to see out the remaining six months of his contract and leave for free in the summer.
“The 19-year-old is allowed to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club this month and the player and his representatives are in talks with a number of clubs.
“As it stands, Balogun is unlikely to go out on loan this month amid interest from a number of clubs in the Championship. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the club are doing all they can to keep him. Arteta claims Balogun wants to stay but questions whether his agent wants the same.
“He said at his news conference: ‘The club wants to make a deal, the manager wants to make a deal, the player wants to stay and I’m not sure about the agent. We are negotiating with an agent, with a player that wants to stay at the club and we need to find an agreement.
“I’m telling you that we are doing everything we can to keep him here and hopefully from the other part they are doing the same and in the same interest, which is the player’s interest which is to stay at the football club and be successful with us.”
