Arsenal reject European club's £30million offer for star, demand higher transfer fee - Reports

Arsenal have rejected Inter Milan's £30 million bid for their forward Folarin Balogun, as per the Daily Express. The Gunners reportedly want £50 million to let go of their young striker (via Metro).

The Italian outfit have been in the market for a central striker. As per The Sun, the Nerazzurri were looking to bring back Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku, who spent last season on loan with the club. However, the 2022 Champions League finalists pulled out of the race for the Belgium international.

Reports claim that the Serie A outfit were unhappy with the player as he held talks with rivals Juventus for a potential move. After failed attempts of a transfer for Lukaku, Inter have turned their attention to signing Balogun.

The Arsenal youth academy product spent the entirety of last season on loan with Stade Reims. During his stay in France, he scored 22 goals and provided three assists across all competitions.

After his performances with the Ligue 1 outfit, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta wished to watch the 22-year-old's performances with his current club. Addressing the player's future after landing in the USA, the Spanish tactician said (via Metro):

"We want to see him, we want to experience him in the next few games, he played the last game against Nuremberg and he will play in the next few games. Then we’ll make the best decision."

However, the striker did not start any of the Premier League side's pre-season friendlies during the USA tour. Balogun managed just one appearance during the club's 5-0 over the MLS All-Stars and has not featured since due to a foot injury.

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Mikel Arteta clarifies reason for Balogun's absence in Arsenal pre-season ties

2023 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge

Folarin Balogun's future at Arsenal currently remains uncertain. The striker did not feature in the Gunners' pre-season ties against Manchester United and Barcelona. His absence caused speculation regarding the north London outfit's intentions to offload the striker this summer.

However, manager Mikel Arteta revealed that the striker was injured and resultantly unavailable. He said (via Metro)

"He wasn’t available – he had a little foot injury. He hasn’t been training with us, and he wasn’t available to us, that was the reason."

When asked about his future, Arteta said:

"We will have to see. First of all, he has to be fit and available to play minutes."

Despite the Arsenal boss' intentions to give Balogun game time, rumors suggest that the club are willing to let him go this summer. They already have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in their ranks for the striker position.