Milan, Inter battle for Balogun

AC Milan and fierce city rivals Inter Milan are both considering a move for Stade Reims striker, Folarin Balogun, according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Milan are seeking to replace their ageing strike force with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud in the twilight of their careers, and Divock Origi, who joined from Liverpool in the summer, has failed to deliver with two goals in 23 games.

For Inter, they are searching for a replacement for Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko, who is out of contract at the end of the season and Romelu Lukaku, who looks set to return to parent club Chelsea in June.

The newspaper also revealed that both clubs have been monitoring Balogun for a while and requested for more information about the striker, who was born in the United States, but is eligible to represent Nigeria through his parents.

French clubs Olympique Marseille and Monaco have also been linked with a summer move for the striker, who has been a revelation in the Ligue 1 this season.

At 21 years and 252 days, Balogun became the youngest player to score at least 16 goals in his first season in Ligue 1 since Mohammed Salem with Sedan-Torcy in 1960/61. He is currently the third highest scorer in the French topflight division behind Lille’s Jonathan David and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.

However, it remains to be seen if Balogun’s parent club, Arsenal, will allow the Nigerian leave in the summer.

The Gunners will make a decision at the end of the season, whether to keep, sell him, or loan him out for a third time.

The 21-year-old’s current deal runs until June 30, 2025.