Italian giants set to battle it out for 'special' Arsenal player this summer

Italian giants Inter and AC Milan are set to battle it out for one of Arsenal's exciting young prospects this summer.

Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League table bidding for their first title in 19 years, but it's the performances of one of their young players who is out on loan that's grabbed the attention of the Serie A rivals.

21-year-old striker Florian Balogun is on loan at French side Reims who are currently on a 19-game unbeaten run in Ligue 1.

The Gunners man has played a massive part in that run scoring 16 goals in 26 games and it could earn him a big move in the summer.

Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport (via GetFootball) claim that Milan are targeting younger players and Inter are in the market for a forward and Balogun interests both.

The England under-21 international is set to be valued at £25m by Mikel Arteta's side which is great value given the goalscoring form that he's currently in.

Both Milan-based clubs have an ageing attack with Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to leave the San Siro in the summer whilst the future of Romelu Lukaku at Inter is up in the air.

Balogun could stay to try and prove himself at Arsenal but with tough competition, he might be better going to a side where he will be guaranteed more opportunities.

He's a 'special' player

Balogun has received high praise from many including Arsenal boss Arteta who recently revealed how pleased he was with the player's exceptional form.

“I’m so happy for him,” Arteta said. “He’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave.

“We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and the other choices he had. He was so convinced. I’m really happy for him because he deserves what he’s getting.

“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special.