West Ham to sign £40m Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun

West Ham have reportedly joined the race to sign Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun as other sides fail to meet the Gunners’ £40 million asking price.

Balogun has been linked with a move to Inter in recent weeks, but the Serie A giants cannot afford to match Arsenal’s transfer demands. The Independent reports that West Ham, alongside French side Monaco, have emerged as the frontrunners to sign the USMNT forward.

Balogun’s preference would be a move to Inter, but with the Serie A side lacking the financial muscle to pull off a deal, the 22-year-old will likely have to assess other options before the close of the transfer window.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are reportedly keen to raise funds to land another new signing, with a central midfielder apparently on Mikel Arteta’s wanted list despite the move to bring in Declan Rice earlier in the summer.

The Independent states that, given his time spent in Ligue 1 last season with Reims, Balogun would be open to another Ligue 1 move, with the USMNT forward having scored an impressive 21 goals last season for the French side.