Arsenal now prefer to loan out £45m player this summer, he’s not keen

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Arsenal would prefer for young forward Folarin Balogun to head out on loan this summer.

That’s according to journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking on Twitter about the 22-year-old striker.

Mikel Arteta has to decide sooner rather than later over the future of Folarin Balogun.

His brilliant season at Stade Reims last year has given him a difficult decision to make.

Balogun was fantastic in Ligue 1, outscoring all of his Arsenal teammates while away from the Emirates.

The young forward is desperate to continue playing first-team football and does not want to go on loan again.

He faces plenty of competition at Arsenal right now, with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah also vying to start.

The Gunners have received plenty of interest for Balogun this summer, with Inter Milan, particularly keen.

Arsenal have reportedly rejected their first bid, although Inter are also keen to sign Balogun on loan with an option to buy.

It’s not an ideal scenario for the club, who appear to want 12 more months to work out the best plan of action for Balogun’s future.

Arsenal prefer loan for Balogun this summer

Speaking about the 22-year-old’s potential movements this summer, Jacobs said: “I think that [Folarin] Balogun is obviously still one to watch.

“We know that Inter [Milan] have been interested in him having given up on Romelu Lukaku.

“Arsenal’s valuation for Balogun rightly so has gone up significantly and that is because he had a fantastic season last campaign and Balogun has made it clear, he’s said it on record that he’s not prepared to go out on loan.

“Which is a shame for Arsenal because they are almost certain if Balogun said to [Mikel] Arteta, ‘Loan me out and I’ll come back in a year’, then that would be Arsenal’s preference.

“So, we now have to wait and see how that one is going to progress.

“It might have something in the region of £45m to make a deal for Balogun.”

Arsenal and Balogun appear unlikely to agree on a loan move this summer right now.

It’s understandable for Balogun to feel that way, he couldn’t have done any more to earn a chance to be involved at Arsenal next season.

It’s up to Arteta and Edu to try and convince the youngster that his long-term future is at Arsenal, even if in the short term he needs to move on again.

Inter and other clubs will hope they can use Balogun’s unwillingness to head out on loan again to sign one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards.