Crystal Palace: £50m star would be ‘sensational signing’ at Selhurst Park

the 22-year-old striker would be a ‘sensational signing’

Crystal Palace buying Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun would be a “sensational signing”, journalist Ryan Taylor has told GIVEMESPORT.

As per The Sun, the Gunners have set an enormous £50 million price tag on the striker after his impressive loan spell away from the club last term.

Crystal Palace latest news – Folarin Balogun

Balogun enjoyed a truly excellent 2022/23 campaign on loan at Stade Reims, scoring a whopping 21 Ligue 1 goals in just 37 appearances for the club, as per Transfermarkt.

It was certainly a breakout season for a player who has been revered by many since his days in the Arsenal academy. In fact, he was labelled as a “boy wonder” by The Times as early as three years ago in 2020.

He has continued on that upwards trajectory ever since, and his form last season saw him rank inside the top five scorers in Ligue 1, as per the BBC, and he did so for a team that could manage no more than an 11th-placed league finish.

For that reason, he returns to North London with reason to believe he has a chance of forcing his way into the Arsenal squad, however, if the Eagles were able to prize him away from the Gunners, Taylor believes he would be a very good signing for Roy Hodgson’s side.

What did Ryan Taylor say about Folarin Balogun and Crystal Palace?

Taylor expressed his concerns as to whether Palace could afford the move but revealed that Balogun would be a “sensational” signing for the club.

Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor said: “I’m not sure how much money Palace have. Obviously, if Zaha doesn’t stay, which looks quite likely at the moment that he’s not going to, I think that will free up a bit of cash in terms of wages,

“But Palace aren’t a team that have had a lot of money to spend in recent years, so I’m not sure whether they can match the kind of money but to answer your original question. – yes, I think he’d be a sensational signing.”

Why are Crystal Palace in the market for a striker?

Put bluntly, the Eagles sorely struggled for goals last term, with their top-scoring striker, Odsonne Edouard, netting just seven times, as per Transfermarkt.

The South London club also managed just 40 Premier League goals in total – less than Leeds United (48) and also less than Leicester City (51), as per SkySports, – both of whom were ultimately relegated.

Despite those figures improving under Hodgson compared to Patrick Vieira, the season-wide statistics still suggest that a natural goalscorer is desperately needed at Selhurst Park. Given his incredible tally in France last term, Balogun certainly fits the bill in that regard.

As Taylor explained, however, the asking price set by Arsenal may just prove to be too steep for a club with limited financial power such as that of Crystal Palace. Balogun would certainly be a fantastic signing for the Eagles, but it remains to be seen whether that move will materialise as the transfer window develops.