Arsenal plotting Folarin Balogun summer swap deal which could impact Liverpool
The move could hamper Liverpool.
Chris Byfield
Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun could move to AC Milan in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh report.
The 21-year-old has reached another major milestone during his prolific loan stint at Reims. On Sunday, Balogun netted his 17th goal of the season across all competitions, despite Reims losing 2-1 to Marseille.
In doing so, Balogun has become the youngest player to achieve 17 goals in Ligue 1 since 1956, when Hassan Akesbi of Morocco did it with Nimes.
The England under-21 international has been a revelation in France. Not only has he been prolific, but he’s also made a habit of scoring in big games, having notched the winner against Monaco last weekend and claimed a last-gasp equaliser against leaders Paris Saint-Germain last month,
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And despite the success of Arsenal’s three-pronged attack this season, Balogun’s exploits will not have gone unnoticed back in north London.
There has been speculation regarding whether Arsenal will give Balogun a chance in their forward line next term, or whether they will cash in.
A CalcioMercatoWeb report has claimed Milan could be interested in signing Balogun in a swap deal that would see Ismael Bennacer go the other way.
Milan and their city rivals Inter are two of the teams widely reported to be interested in a deal for the Arsenal striker.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are thought to be keen on a move for Bennacer, who was on Arsenal’s books between 2015 and 2017 but only made one first-team appearance.
After a fruitless spell in the Premier League the Algerian international joined Italian side Empoli, where he spent two years before securing a £14million move to Milan.
Bennacer has since established himself as one of the best midfielders in Serie A, having helped the Rossoneri win Serie A last term.
This season the Algerian has played 31 times across all competitions and attracted interest from the Premier League.
Indeed, Liverpool, who are targeting a midfield rejuvenation this term, are one of the teams thought to be interested in Bennacer.
Calciomercato claim that Liverpool are prepared to battle the Gunners for Bennacer’s signature. In turn, should Arsenal agree a swap deal with Milan it could scupper Liverpool's transfer plans.