The Eagles are being linked with a move for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, which could have a knock-on effect for the Hammers
Like a pair of duelling outlaws in a one-horse town, somebody has to go. For the longest while, the assumption has been that it would be Folarin Balogun – the precocious, ambitious prospect who took France by storm last season, and who was so assured of his readiness for the international stage that he has since switched allegiances to represent the USA at senior level.
Now, however, things don’t seem so concrete. Sure, Balogun is still seemingly poised to leave in the coming weeks, but sudden and outside interest in his teammate, Eddie Nketiah, could cloud the waters somewhat.
Let us begin from the beginning because, in the words of Julie Andrews, “it is a very good place to start.” Balogun spent the season on loan from Arsenal at Will Still’s Stade Reims. He scored 21 goals in 37 appearances in Ligue 1 and soon established himself as one of the most closely followed young talents in European football.
In the months since, he has made it abundantly clear that his priority heading into the new campaign is to play regular first team football, and as such, it has been widely accepted that he will be sold before the transfer window is through. The Gunners are understood to be open to a potential exit, and have attached a price tag of around £50 million to their academy graduate. A plethora of clubs near and far are said to be keeping tabs on the 22-year-old, with Inter Milan, RB Leipzig, and – as per Football.London – West Ham, all in the running for his signature. So far, so straightforward.
Enter the fray, Crystal Palace. According to a separate report from Football.London, the Eagles could look to replace the recently-departed Wilf Zaha by launching a £34 million swoop for Balogun’s north London colleague Nketiah. The 24-year-old, who is very much expected to play second fiddle to Gabriel Jesus at the Emirates next season, has been linked with a move to Selhurst Park on several occasions in the past, and has recently been making noises with regards to his own first team aspirations.
Speaking during Arsenal’s preseason tour of the United States, the striker said: “I don’t think I have accepted [being a backup option] and I will never accept that. That’s not my mentality. That’s not why I signed here to sit and be second best. I want to be the best, I want to play and that’s the mentality I have. I realise I might not play every game and that’s the coach’s decision but it’s never going to be my mentality to accept not playing.”
None of that is to suggest that he is hankering for an exit, and he did only pen a new deal last summer, but at the very least there are reasons to believe that if a suitable offer came in from elsewhere, he might be tempted to mull it over.
And that brings us back to Balogun, so intrinsically linked are the futures of the two Hale End old boys. If Balogun does leave this summer, there is no way that the Gunners will allow Nketiah to walk out of the door as well. But equally, if Palace do firm up their interest in Arsenal’s number 14, then Mikel Arteta will have to make a decision on the wantaway USMNT star.
That, in turn, could have a domino effect on the transfer ambitions of the clubs currently chasing Balogun, and from a Premier League perspective, West Ham in particular. If Palace swoop for Nketiah, and Arsenal dig their heels in over his teammate, then the Hammers will find themselves gazumped.
Realistically, the chances of that happening feel slim. For one thing, of the two forwards, Balogun seems vastly more intent on forcing a transfer in the immediate future. For another, the Gunners would stand to make somewhere in the region of £16 million more from the sale of the 22-year-old, and given the notable outlays that they have already made this summer, any chance to recoup funds will be welcomed wholeheartedly by those in control of the pursestrings.
But Palace’s apparent interest in Nketiah represents an interesting subplot, and one that all of Balogun’s suitors – West Ham included – will be watching with tense interest. For now, however, one thing remains achingly clear; when it comes to Arteta’s attacking options, the Emirates ain’t big enough for the both of them.
