West Ham United may be on the brink of losing their captain and star player Declan Rice to Arsenal, but David Moyes' side could get themselves a bargain as part of the £105m transfer.
According to a report carried by football.london, the Irons are now showing an interest in the Gunners' Folarin Balogun, with the aim of agreeing on a cut-price deal for one of Europe's hottest forwards.
Who is Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun?
Balogun's Arsenal career did not appear to be going very far, having been restricted to just two Premier League appearances prior to being loaned out to Ligue 1 side Reims last season.
If Balogun was a relatively unknown quantity 12 months ago, he is certainly well known now after scoring 21 goals in 37 league appearances for Reims – only Jonathan David (24), Alexandre Lacazette (27) and Kylian Mbappe (29) scored more in the French top flight last season.
However, with the United States international eager to play regular football next season, and Gabriel Jesus preventing him from doing that at the Emirates Stadium, it appears Arsenal are not against the idea of cashing in this summer.
It is claimed that West Ham could negotiate a cheaper fee with London rivals Arsenal, but the Gunners' current valuation is still as high as £50m.
Where would Folarin Balogun fit in at West Ham?
West Ham have been slow off the mark in terms of their transfer business, but it has been claimed that fellow Ligue 1 star Habib Diallo could also arrive from Strasbourg in the coming weeks.
Having been forced to rely on flop striker Gianluca Scamacca last season, a strike partnership of Balogun and Diallo – the latter of whom scored 20 league goals last time out – would be an almighty upgrade for the Europa Conference League winners.
Indeed, whilst the Irons impressed on the continent, culminating in their victory over Fiorentina in the final, they struggled domestically throughout the season and were outscored by relegated pair Leeds United and Leicester City.
Balogun and Diallo both played predominantly through the middle in Ligue 1 last season, but that is not to say they cannot be used in tandem by Moyes. In fact, there is an argument to be made that the pair could easily feed off each other.
For example, Diallo ranked in the top 9% of all players across Europe's top five leagues last season for aerial duels won per 90, as per The Analyst, whereas Balogun was in the bottom 17%.
Diallo ranks low in terms of chances created per 90, however, with the France international in the bottom 17%, but Balogun is a lot stronger in that sense as he is in the top 55%.
Moyes favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation last season, often with Michail Antonio having to fill in for Scamacca up top, so that would have to change unless the Scotsman opts to field Diallo or Balogun in attacking midfield.
Even without landing Diallo, West Ham would be getting themselves an "unbelievable" talent – as Reims head coach Will Still once put it – should they pull off a coup by bringing in Balogun to potentially lead their line for years to come.