Arsenal should be looking to use Rasmus Hojlund’s move to Manchester United to help in their sales plan for the likes of Folarin Balogun.
he transfer market has been a chaotic summer which has seen clubs spend huge sums of money on players with prices soaring. In the case of Arsenal, they too have indulged in smashing their transfer record with the signing of Declan Rice.
However, Manchester United’s most expensive summer signing of Rasmus Hojlund for a reported £72million including add-ons has suddenly created a very interesting dynamic in the market for anyone selling strikers. Arsenal themselves have two forwards whose futures are hardly secure.
Both Folarin Balogun and Eddie Nketiah have been linked with moves away. Balogun is coming off the back of a brilliant loan in which he scored more than double the number of league goals for Reims in Ligue 1 (21) than Hojlund did for Atalanta in Serie A (9).
Therefore it is not unsurprising to see calls for Arsenal to demand upwards of £50million for the USMNT striker. The American has been hardly used on the US tour and was even seen training alone although Mikel Arteta admitted he had suffered a minor foot injury.
Meanwhile, Nketiah has been getting plenty of minutes but there has been talk of a potential switch to Crystal Palace mooted. Nketiah has proven to be a Premier League goalscorer when given regular starts, notably scoring twice against Manchester United to help hand the Gunners a dramatic 3-2 win at the Emirates Stadium.
Fans have debated the amounts to which both Nketiah and Balogun should be garnering for the club. With so much volatility in the striker position a scenario where both were sold could open the Gunners up to a potential surprise investment in the position
The prices would be significant opening an avenue to a calibre of players perhaps not thought to be accessible in this window. But the issue lies with the potential suitors because although a club the size of Inter Milan are keen on Balogun the Italian side are not in the same sphere financially as a club like Manchester United to be able to drop big money down.
Palace too, despite being a Premier League side, have a certain degree of limited funds with their current transfer record was Christian Benteke, another striker, at £27million. Although that was around seven years ago and perhaps an expectation of a greater investment in 2023 is realistic.
Either way, Arsenal will be hoping the state of the market opens up pathways to serious recouping of funds. Especially considering the record £200million-plus outlay on just three players this summer.
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