West Ham United are reportedly interested in Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, as the club begin their search for a new striker this summer.
With Gianluca Scamacca expected to depart, David Moyes will begin the hunt to obtain a fresh outlet for goals as the Irons bid to improve on their relegation-threatened form of last season.
Could West Ham sign Folarin Balogun?
Despite there being a host of disappointment regarding Scamacca’s time in the Premier League, the reported interest of Inter Milan for the Italian could bolster the Irons’ pursuit of Balogun.
Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…
As reported by journalist Ben Jacobs, Inter have turned their attention away from the Arsenal starlet and instead will target the West Ham flop.
He also claims to "keep an eye" on the Irons as Moyes likes the young Gunners forward, who is said to be valued at £45m by the Gunners.
How good is Folarin Balogun?
Despite being at Arsenal since youth level, the 22-year-old has made only two appearances in the Premier League for the north Londoners in his career so far.
A loan move was crucial for the USMNT international to spread his wings in one of Europe’s top leagues, making 37 Ligue 1 appearances for Stade Reims last season where he caught the eye of many.
Ending the campaign on 21 goals in the league, the Hale End graduate showcased just how efficient he can be in the final third, giving Mikel Arteta a headache about whether he could integrate him into the side at the Emirates.
It looks however that the New York-born gem will most likely depart the Emirates this summer, with his absence from some pre-season festivities suggesting that a move could be on the cards.
For West Ham, the potential sale of Balogun could come at a perfect time as the Irons open a vacancy for a new candidate to impress and lead the line full-time at the London Stadium.
At just 22 and with 21 goals in the French top-flight added to his CV, the striker could shine a light on a seemingly dim summer for the Hammers so far.
Having been described as being “simply too good” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the young talisman could impact West Ham at a time of need in a way as prominent as the signing of Dimitri Payet back in 2015.
The Frenchman joined the Hammers from Ligue 1 and turned the quality on show up a notch in a single season, scoring nine goals and registering 12 assists in his debut Premier League campaign.
Hailed by legendary midfielder Zinedine Zidane at the time as being “one of the most important players in Europe”, the creative maestro fired West Ham to a seventh-place finish, a huge improvement from their 12th-place conclusion the year prior to his arrival.
The club knows how influential one signing of pure quality can be, which is needed at present by Moyes who faced a battle at the bottom of the table for the majority of the 2022/23 campaign.
Securing Balogun, a hungry and proven goal-scoring talent with the knowledge of the English game, could give the Scotsman a similar success story to Slaven Bilic’s fairy tale with Payet.
If West Ham can act fast, the trials and criticism of this window so far could be forgotten about in capturing a rising star with a point to prove in England.
