The Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun may have driven the final nail into Sheffield United’s hopes of signing him, on Thursday.
United were reported to have failed with a £3 million bid for Balogun in the summer transfer window (Daily Mail) – with their manager, Chris Wilder, later confirming contact with Arsenal (BBC Radio Sheffield).
The Blades later paid a club-record fee for another young striker, Rhian Brewster.
But with Balogun’s deal due to expire at the end of this season – and Arsenal’s initial offer of a new one rejected – a cut-price move to Bramall Lane either in January or next summer could not be ruled out.
Any hope Sheffield United had left at the start of this week appears to have rapidly faded, however.
Not only have The Athletic claimed that Arsenal have reopened contract talks with Balogun, the New York-born striker scored his first Gunners goal on only his second appearance, against Molde earlier.
And barring an unexpected turn of events, which could extend to Sheffield United exiting the Premier League’s bottom three, it is hard to imagine Balogun rocking up at Bramall Lane now.
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