Fulham: Journalist shares Folarin Balogun latest
The Whites need a striker to replace Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Journalist Simon Jones of The Daily Mail has shared why Fulham manager Marco Silva is hopeful of signing Arsenals striker Folarin Balogun amid ongoing talks.
Who will Fulham sign?
Silva overseen a mixed start to the new Premier League campaign so far, having secured a 1-0 victory away to Everton on the opening weekend but then suffering a hammering against Brentford.
Fulham’s first home game of the season couldn’t have gone much worse as their west London rivals put them to the sword with a 3-0 win, courtesy of goals from Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo (2).
The match perhaps exposed some chinks in Fulham’s armour as they seek to build upon a fine 2022/2023 season, where they challenged for Europe and comfortably swerved relegation.
Silva has been forthright in explaining his side’s need for more new signings, coming after they sealed deals for both Mexico international Raul Jimenez and highly-rated defender Calvin Bassey.
“Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” Silva said earlier this month.
“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers.
“We have completed our central defenders. I needed these players 15 days or 20 days ago, not now.”
It’s been a fairly mixed window for Fulham, and despite their attempts to sign Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, reliable media sources have claimed that talks have stalled over a deal for the Englishman.
Aleksandar Mitrovic, their star striker of last season, has also sealed a move to Saudi side Al-Hilal – where the Serbian will play alongside big name star Neymar.
The need for a replacement is a prevalent one, but The Mail’s reporter Jones has some promising news on who they could sign to succeed Mitrovic.
Indeed, Arsenal forward Balogun is of serious interest, and they will now ramp up their pursuit of the USA international with talks ongoing for his services.
While the Gunners want around £50m, Silva is personally hopeful that a compromise can be reached as we enter the final week of this window.
Indeed, Fulham apparently believe they can conclude a move for £35 million plus add-ons.
How good is Folarin Balogun?
Balogun racked up a brilliant 21 goals in 37 Ligue 1 appearances on loan at Reims last season, raising his stock exponentially as Arsenal look to seriously profit off his sale.
Mikel Arteta, commenting on the player’s form during his temporary spell, claimed he has the ability to be something special and remains “ambitious”.
“He’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career,” said Arteta.
“He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave. We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and the other choices he had. He was so convinced. I’m really happy for him because he deserves what he’s getting.
“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special.”
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