ARSENAL fans have hailed sporting director Edu for pulling off a “masterclass” by agreeing a record transfer sale for Folarin Balogun.
The USA international is on the verge of making the switch from the Emirates to AS Monaco.
GettyArsenal are set to agree record transfer sale for Folarin Balogun[/caption]
The 22-year-old will undergo a medical before signing a five-year contract.
And it is set to blow Arsenal’s transfer sale out of the water despite him only playing a mere seven times for the club.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the clubs are still negotiating a final price, but it is said to be in the region of £38m.
If a fee is agreed at the level currently being discussed, it would surpass the record amount recouped by Arsenal for a player – the £35m received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017.
Monaco recently had their £34m bid rejected by Arsenal, but the club’s sporting director Thiago Scuro has a strong relationship with Edu, his opposite number at Arsenal.
The record breaking nature of the deal has Arsenal fans hailing chief negotiator Edu.
One fan tweeted: “Edu Masterclass”.
Another fan wrote: “Edu doesn’t want to sell him to a rival EPL club. £40m is a sizable investment”.
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A third wrote: “Edu is working overtime tonight. Very smart business”.
A fourth said: “I hope Edu Gaspar has added a 20% sell-on or buy-back clause”.
Balogun spent last season on loan with Reims, scoring 21 Ligue 1 goals in 37 appearances, and is keen to play first-team football this season.
The talented youngster has been linked with a transfer to the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham in recent weeks.
The striker has been training away from the first team for much of the summer, and is deemed surplus to requirements by boss Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners have done some great business this summer, as around £200m has been spent to sign Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya.
With this move, Balogun’s departure will also free up funds that could be utilised for other transfer targets as the club looks to rebuild.
Club chiefs are also looking for a new defender following the devastating ACL injury to new recruit Jurrien Timber.
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