Arsenal could now lose Folarin Balogun to RB Leipzig as the Bundesliga side attempt to replace the Chelsea bound Christopher Nkunku.
What’s the story?
Well – according to Florian Plettenburg of Sky Germany – RB Leipzig are keen to sign Balogun from Arsenal as a result of his stunning form this season.
The Hale End graduate has scored 19 goals in all competitions on loan at Reims so far this term, putting him just one behind Kylian Mbappe in the Ligue 1 scoring charts.
Plettenburg believes RB Leipzig have already asked Arsenal about Balogun after lodging an official enquiry.
The German side are also interested in Lille forward Jonathan David, although it is said that Arsenal’s England Under-21 international could be signed for less money.
RB Leipzig are clearly preparing for life after Nkunku, who was sold to Chelsea in a £63m deal last year – he will officially join the Blues this summer.
Arsenal must negotiate Balogun buyback with RB Leipzig
This is a tricky situation for Arsenal.
The Athletic believe Balogun is enjoying his role as a regular starter and would like to keep playing frequently next season, something which may not happen at Arsenal due to Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.
Therefore, a sale might have to happen, although Edu needs to ensure the Gunners remain in control.
Balogun is a potential star of the future, and while Arsenal may struggle to keep him this summer, they need to negotiate a buyback clause for a fixed sum to make sure they don’t regret their decision.
That is exactly what Chelsea did when selling Tammy Abraham to Roma in 2021 – the Blues received £34m and negotiated a buyback clause for £67m.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation going into the summer, as Balogun is a man in demand.
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