Folarin Balogun: Arsenal demand £8m for Brentford target
Follow Arsenal vs Chelsea in Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley on Sky Sports' digital platforms; kick-off 5.30pm
Friday 31 July 2020 22:07, UK
Arsenal are demanding at least £8m for Brentford target Folarin Balogun.
The Gunners' price is considered high for a 19-year-old striker who has never played a first-team game and can leave for free next summer.
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Balogun has refused to sign a new contract after failing to get assurances of a pathway into the first team, and is happy to see out his current deal until 2021.
The Bees, who are one game away from the Premier League, tried to sign him in January but could not agree a deal with Arsenal.
He is highly regarded at other clubs in the Premier League and has been tracked by the likes of Liverpool, as well as teams in Germany.
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Balogun banged in 10 goals in 15 Premier League 2 appearances for Arsenal's U23s this season, and is a high priority among the Bees' targets along with Peterborough's Ivan Toney.
Auba direction
As the doubts over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future rumble on, Charlie Nicholas believes the Arsenal striker signing a new contract will be as big as winning the FA Cup.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's final, Nicholas said: "It's vital to keep hold of him, but if Real Madrid or Barcelona were to show interest in him at his age, and he wants to go, he'll go.
"Personally, I think it is as there's very little guarantee in football but the guarantee he gives you when he's fit is goals. Goals for Arsenal is the main ingredient in the way they play.
"If we run it down, as we did with Aaron Ramsey, you're just holding on to someone who isn't entirely committed to the cause. I'm hopeful now that Aubameyang will re-sign - Arsenal, get it over the line! It would be as big a boost as winning the FA Cup. That's how big it would be."
Summer transfer window - key dates and times
The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.
A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
