‘A bit of a jump’: Pundit surprised by who 22-year-old Arsenal player could sign for

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Gab Marcotti says it’s ‘a bit of a jump’ for Folarin Balogun to join Serie A giants Inter this summer following his successful loan spell at Stade de Reims.

The 2022/23 campaign was the best of Folarin Balogun’s career so far after he struck 21 goals in 37 games in France’s top-tier, but now he could be headed for the Arsenal exit door.

But with talk that Inter will turn to the Hale-End academy product, with Romelu Lukaku returning to Chelsea, European football expert Marcotti thinks it’s a ‘stretch’ that he could join the club for close to £50 million, as he told ESPN.

Whilst Balogun did well last season, after all, it was for a team in France, which is probably a league deemed below England, Spain, Germany and Italy, in terms of quality.

Added to that, the size of both clubs, the pressures at Inter, who were beaten by Manchester City in the Champions League final last season, is a completely different level to what the American intentional has to deal with.

That was the point Marcotti was trying to put forward, as Balogun could be headed to Italy for his next destination.

“The name came up in the press,” said Marcotti. “Of course, Inter would need another striker.

“They are talking about something in the region of £40 million. It seems to me like it is a bit of a jump from being on loan at a midtable French club and scoring a lot of goals.

“Stade de Reims isn’t Inter. You don’t have the Champions League. You don’t have the other factors in there. To me, it feels like a ton of money and a stretch at that number.”

Should Arsenal keep Balogun?

If Balogun is good enough for a team like Inter, who faired so well on the European stage last season, then why isn’t he good enough for Arsenal?

Players like Kai Havertz have been brought in for squad depth, so surely Mikel Arteta should do everything in his power to keep Balogun on board.

It’s understandable if he wants to leave himself, in order to progress his career again, but if he isn’t deemed a better goalscorer than Gabriel Jesus, then the noise around him is being overhyped.