Fulham are stepping up their interest in Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun but clubs are still £10m apart in valuation of the forward, while the Gunners face £45m

Fulham have increased their interest in Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun but remain £10m below the north London club’s valuation.

The Gunners are looking at £45million for the US international after his success in France at Stade Reims last season.

Mikel Arteta’s side initially wanted £50m before lowering the price, however Cottagers are only willing to pay a maximum of £35m.

Balogun scored 21 goals in 37 Ligue 1 games in the 2022/23 season, with only PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Lille’s Jonathan David scoring more.

The 22-year-old made his United States debut in June after joining the international side from England.

Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun has been closely watched by Fulham in recent weeks

Fulham boss Marco Silva wants to bolster his attacking options in the summer window

Balogun has been linked with moves to Monaco, Inter Milan and Tottenham all summer but it seems Fulham are currently the top contenders for his signing.

The Cottagers are looking to expand their forward options amid persistent rumors that Aleksandar Mitrovic is facing a costly move to the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Hilal has reportedly reignited interest in the Serbia forward in recent days, with a £46million offer for the 28-year-old.

Mitrovic requested earlier in the summer to join Al-Hilal despite coming on as a substitute in Fulham’s 1-0 win at Everton on the opening day of the Premier League season.

Marco Silva is keen to add Everton’s Demarai Gray, Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi and Leicester City’s Timothy Castagne to his squad as Mitrovic’s sale is a fluke.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a successful spell at the Stade Reims in France last season

Rumors continue that Aleksandar Mitrovic is facing a move to the Saudi Pro League

However, Balogun is likely to act as a direct replacement for Fulham’s top scorer from last season.

The striker trained alone during Arsenal’s summer US tour and was left out of the squad in Saturday’s 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest.

Mikel Arteta is looking to downsize his squad after Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber made big investments again at Emirates Stadium.

Although Balogun is unlikely to get a deal in time to make his Fulham debut against Brentford at the weekend, he could be primed for a quick Arsenal return when Silva’s side take on the Emirates on Saturday 26 August visited.