Chelsea have reportedly made contact over a deal for Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun.
The USA international is still on the fringes of Mikel Arteta's first team despite netting 22 goals in 39 games during an exceptional loan spell with Reims last season.
Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Eddie Nketiah are all ahead of Balogun in the pecking order, while Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli can also fill in at the tip of the attack.
Balogun's pre-season was disrupted by a foot injury, and he is yet to make a competitive appearance for the Gunners this season, but his hopes of reigniting his North London career are seemingly slim.
A plethora of European clubs are believed to have taken an interest in signing the 22-year-old this summer, although Arsenal's £50m price tag is believed to have deterred potential suitors.
© Reuters
Inter Milan and Monaco are both said to have had offers rejected for the USA international, while West Ham United and Fulham are also reported to have taken an interest.
Fulham are on the lookout for a successor to Al-Hilal-bound Aleksandar Mitrovic, but according to talkSPORT, Chelsea are taking slow steps towards bringing Balogun to Stamford Bridge.
The report claims that "tentative" discussions have taken place with the American's entourage, and Arteta is happy to let Balogun leave for a sizeable fee before the end of the window.
While Fulham are still interested in a deal for Balogun, the Cottagers are supposedly only willing to go as high as £35m, which Arsenal deem too low given the striker's breakthrough year last term.
Should the Gunners successfully hold out for a £50m fee, Balogun would become the club's most expensive sale of all time, surpassing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's £35m move to Liverpool in 2017.
© Reuters
Balogun was a prolific marksman for Arsenal at youth level, scoring 38 goals in 41 matches for their Under-18 squad, but he has only appeared for the first team on 10 occasions.
The former England youth international has two goals and one assist for Arteta's side from those 10 fixtures, and all of those contributions came in the 2020-21 Europa League.
An underwhelming loan at Middlesbrough also followed for Balogun before his rise to prominence at Reims, and his contract at the Emirates runs until the end of the 2024-25 season.
Chelsea have already added Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to their attacking ranks this summer, but the former is on the long road to recovery from a knee injury, as is Armando Broja.
Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku is expected to follow Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of the exit door before the end of the window, and Tottenham Hotspur are apparently the latest team to show an interest in the Belgian.
Ben Knapton
