Inter Milan have ended talks with Arsenal over a deal to sign Folarin Balogun, with the forward deemed ‘too expensive’.
Balogun had emerged as a leading transfer target for the Champions League finalists after the club failed to agree a deal to sign loanee Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, but Inter have been frustrated in their attempts to sign another forward.
Arsenal are understood to have rejected an opening bid of around €40m (£34.3m) including add-ons for Balogun, who is valued at £50m in north London. The 22-year-old shone on loan at Reims last season to score 21 Ligue 1 goals.
Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Inter consider Arsenal’s valuation of the USA international too high and the Italian side have now turned their attention to West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca.
Scamacca signed for West Ham in £30.5m deal last summer, but proved an awkward fit for David Moyes’ side and made just 11 league starts.
The Italy international scored 16 league goals during his final season in Serie A with Sassuolo in 2021/22 and is believed to be open to a return to the division. Roma have also been linked with signing Scamacca this summer.
Inter had also been credited with interest in Lille’s Jonathan David, but the Canadian is also considered too expensive.
