West Ham are desperate to sign a striker in this transfer window…
West Ham United are eyeing the services of a supremely talented Arsenal youngster…
What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?
According to the Daily Mail, the Irons are one of the several sides who are interested in signing Folarin Balogun this summer.
This outlet reveals that Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Monaco are all also planning a swoop for the striker, with the French club said to be the most advanced in the race for his signature.
The Gunners are reportedly planning to complete £100m worth of sales before the end of the window and value Balogun at around £50m.
The 22-year-old was not named in the squad for the opening two games of the season as he looks destined for an imminent exit.
West Ham may accelerate their interest in the forward after Elye Wahi – who was reportedly a serious target for manager David Moyes – opted to join RC Lens instead.
Would Folarin Balogun be a good signing for West Ham?
It seems that the chance of Balogun staying at the Emirates Stadium beyond the 1st of September is minimal, as the £30k-per-week prodigy is deserving of consistent game time.
Unfortunately, at Arsenal, this doesn’t appear to be a possibility with Mikel Arteta possessing the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Kai Havertz, and Leandro Trossard.
But, Arsenal’s loss can be West Ham’s gain, as Balogun has emphatically demonstrated that he is a dangerous and profilic European focal point.
During a stirring breakout season whilst on loan at Reims over 2022 and 2023, Balogun netted 21 goals in 37 Ligue 1 games meaning he was the division’s fifth-highest scorer.
His impressive contribution was appreciated by Reims manager Will Still, who raved over Balogun’s quality and said:
“He is a super complete striker, he is able to play with his back to goal, in-depth. It is technically very clean. He scores, he is decisive.”
Despite not featuring in the Spaniard’s plans, Arteta has echoed this type of praise, and labelled the American’s time in France as “incredible” and feels he possesses “something special.”
From a West Ham perspective, this coup could the hierarchy quickly forget about their failure to sign Wahi.
The Guardian revealed the 2023 Europa Conference League winners admired the Frenchman’s strength, power, and pace, feeling he had the characteristics to succeed in Moyes’ counter-attacking system.
Coincidentally, Wahi’s style of play is likened to Balogun’s via FBref’s player comparison tool.
The latter outperforms the new Lens star for numerous attacking metrics, including shots per 90 (3.64 vs 2.27), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.3 vs 1.95), progressive passes per 90 (1.47 vs 0.9), and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (5.90 vs 4.61).
Meanwhile, Wahi narrowly outranks Balogun for progressive carries per 90 (2.19 vs 1.69) and successful take-ons per 90 (1.09 vs 1.02).
This set of statistics indicates there is minimal difference between these two gloriously effervescent players, and the disappointment of missing out on Wahi can be quickly rectified by the signing of Balogun, who is more than capable of leading the line for a Premier League outfit.
