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Football London
Football London
Sport
Josh Holland

Folarin Balogun handed Arsenal exit path with huge transfer after $47m bid

Folarin Balogun is continuing to attract plenty of interest from around Europe this summer as his Arsenal future continues to be in doubt ahead of the 2023/24 season.

The 22 year-old has only made 22 appearances for the Gunners throughout his career and spent last season in France with Stade Reims. His time in Ligue 1 has made him one of Europe's most in-demand strikers after scoring 22 goals with only Kylian Mbappe, Alexandre Lacazette and Jonathan David scoring more goals.

Balogun returned to London Colney over the weekend to start his pre-season after being granted a longer break due to his USMNT participation in June. It is currently unclear whether he'll feature on Thursday against German side Nurnberg amid all the uncertainty over his future.

It is understood that Arsenal have slapped a £50 million ($63.9m) price tag on the Hale Ender's head after accepting Balogun's preference is not to leave the club temporarily again.

A list of clubs have been credited with interest in recent months with strong interest from Italy and France. Recently, Premier League rivals Chelsea emerged as a surprise name in the race, with reports stating the Blues had been in contact with the player's agent.

Now, Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig have revived their interest in the United States international. According to BILD, Leipzig are now considering making a move for Balogun after failing to land Lens forward Lois Openda.

READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Jurrien Timber move 'confirmed', Mbappe deal, Tchouameni boost

The Belgian, who scored 21 goals in Ligue 1 last season, had been identified as their primary target following Christopher Nkunku's exit to Chelsea. However, negotiating with Lens has, so far, proven difficult with four offers turned down - the latest being worth €43.5m ($47.6m).

It's said that Leipzig believe they can sign Balogun for less than what Lens want for Openda. However, the report from Germany does suggest that they haven't given up hope on signing Openda just yet.

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