Sold for £35m but He is now worth £15m as current transfer market revealed, Arsenal really dodged a bullet by sealing move the South American international
Despite picking up seven out of a possible nine points in the Premier League this season, Arsenal are not in the best shape heading into this weekend’s North London Derby.
Declan Rice is suspended following his sending off against Brighton & Hove Albion; Mikel Merino is still out due to a shoulder injury sustained in training, and Martin Odegaard is set to miss at least three weeks of action due to an ankle injury he picked up on international duty, leaving Mikel Arteta with limited options for his midfield.
While there is undeniably an element of misfortune in the Gunners’ current predicament, some fans believe the club left themselves short by not signing another midfielder in the summer and selling too many squad players.
However, while the former may be true, Edu Gaspar and Co did well to get the money they did for the players they sold this summer, although perhaps the best sale the club have made under the Brazilian came earlier in his tenure.
Arsenal’s summer departures
So, while Arsenal brought in Riccardo Calafiori, Raheem Sterling, and Merino this summer, most of their business was seemingly focused on shipping out the players deemed surplus to requirements.
While this might have left the team vulnerable, the sales brought in a lot of money, which could prove useful next summer.
For example, fan favourite Emile Smith Rowe, who had firmly fallen out of favour last season, was moved on to Fulham for an initial fee of £27m that could rise to £34m, and considering the Hale Ender has started brilliantly in West London, we wouldn’t be surprised to see that happen
A month later, the club secured an exit for Eddie Nketiah, who joined Crystal Palace for a fee in the region of £30m.
The talented striker looked like a promising talent just a couple of years ago, but with Gabriel Jesus in the team and Kai Havertz ahead of both of them in the pecking order, it was crystal clear that the 25-year-old was no longer in the manager’s plans, so a sale once again suited all parties.
Lastly, despite playing a hugely significant role in the team’s first title challenge in 22/23 and being a firm fan favourite, Aaron Ramsdale secured a move to Southampton on deadline day for a fee that could reach £25m, including add-ons.
However, while these three deals should hopefully allow the club to splash the cash once again next summer, Edu’s best sale occurred last season.
Folarin Balogun’s valuation in 2024
The player in question is former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, who burst onto the scene in the 22/23 season while on loan with Ligue 1 side Stade Reims.
In 39 appearances for the French side, the “unbelievable” American marksman, as dubbed by sports presenter Jules Breach, scored a whopping 22 goals and provided three assists, maintaining an average of a goal involvement every 1.56 games.
However, it was clear that he did not want to return to North London to sit on the bench, so when the summer rolled around, the club sold him to AS Monaco for £35m, which is a brilliant fee for a striker from the academy who had made just ten appearances for the club in total
Moreover, Edu and Co made the sale at the perfect time, as while he wasn’t terrible for Monaco, he was only able to score eight goals and provide seven assists in 32 matches, which means his average fell to a goal involvement every 2.13 games in the same season that Alexandre Lacazette produced 27 goals and assists in 35 games.
This dip in form has also seen his valuation come down dramatically, with Football Transfers now pricing him at just €17m, which is just £14m, or £21m less than Arsenal got for him last year.
Ultimately, Balogun is a talented forward who could still go on to have a brilliant career, but considering he didn’t want to sit on the bench at the Emirates and has seen his valuation collapse, Edu and Co struck gold when they got £35m for him.
