Folarin Balogun: Putting Arsenal in Dilemma

With 15 goals for modest Stade de Reims, which is five more than Lionel Messi and two more than Kylian Mbappe and puts him at the top of the scoring charts in the Ligue 1, Folarin Balogun is already putting parent club-Arsenal in a dilemma as to whether to recall him from loan or cash-in on one of this season’s French League’s hottest property as he’s not short of suitors with Marseille as the leading candidate

After struggling to make much of an impact on loan at Middlesbrough for the second half of last season, it was crucial for Arsenal to get Folarin Balogun’s next move right, and they certainly did just that. At the time, choosing France as the destination was viewed as a risk by some, however, Reims has since emerged as the perfect fit for a player who has rediscovered his goalscoring prowess.
As it stands, Balogun is the Ligue 1 top scorer after bagging his 15th league goal on Sunday, that’s five more than Lionel Messi (10) and two more than Kylian Mbappe (13). His performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with both Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and most recently manager Mikel Arteta expressing their delight over his progress.

“So happy for him,” Arteta said last week. “He’s a boy with a really clear idea of what he wants to do in his career. Really ambitious, really committed and he’s really brave. We discussed before whether it was the right place to go and other choices that he had. He was so convinced and I’m really happy for him because he deserves what he’s getting.
“He’s got something special. That’s why we gave him a long-term contract and have faith in him, and give him the long period that he’s having now, because the period he’s having now is different to the one before at Middlesbrough. The plan is that he finishes his period there, assess the situation where he is, where we are, then sit down and plan the next chapter in his developing career.”

Choosing his next step upon returning to Arsenal is not the only decision that Balogun will face, however, as speculation continues to mount over his long-term future at international level. Although he currently represents England Under-21s, the New York City-born striker has previously played for the US Under-18s and is also eligible for Nigeria through family roots. Speaking to L’Equipe in October last year, Balogun said that he would consider all three countries for his international career.

“Just like my future at club level, I am not closing any doors regarding international selection,” Balogun explained. “All options remain open. Above everything, I feel English, but I also have an American side, because I have family in New York and I love going there. I have my grandmother and cousins in Lagos, even if I haven’t been there since I was very young. My mother sometimes speaks to me in Yoruba and it is important to me,” he added.

Arsenal icon Bacary Sagna is predicting Balogun to take a similar trajectory to William Saliba and one day shine for the Gunners.
Balogun is currently spending the season on loan at French Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims and has taken the league by storm with 15 goals in 22 matches.
Balogun progressed through the ranks of Arsenal’s academy and has been regarded as one of the club’s top talents for several years, though he was unable to show his best on loan at Middlesbrough last season. He will be hoping he can follow in the footsteps of Saliba, who had three separate loan spells in France before establishing himself as a crucial first team player this term following his £30 million move from Saint-Etienne in 2019.
Speaking to Boyle Sports, Sagna is confident Balogun will one day prove to be an ‘excellent addition to the squad’ and believes the fact he is performing to such a high level at a club not among France’s elite speaks volumes.

“I believe Folarin Balogun will come back to Arsenal one day,” said Sagna. “Look at how William Saliba turned out, he played at Marseille and was the best defender in the Ligue 1. Balogun is doing perfectly while not playing for the best team in that league, which shows how good his finishing is.
“Arsenal will be delighted to have him back, he can be an excellent addition to the squad. It’s a blessing to have three young strikers and it’s a good problem to have.”

However, Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta has been urged to sell Balogun this summer by ex-Gunner, Emmanuel Petit, who claims there is no pathway for the striker at the Emirates and says his old club should cash in.
The New York-born star came through the academy at Arsenal after moving to England as a young child. He was a prolific goalscorer through the youth ranks and has two goals in 10 first-team appearances.

But Petit believes the presence of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah will only get in Balogun’s way. Jesus only signed for Arsenal last summer, while Nketiah penned a new long-term contract at a similar time.
Petit reckons Arsenal should sell if they receive a large offer. He told Compare.bet: “Balogun, at the end of the season, I believe Arsenal will receive so many offers for him.

“Is it the right time to bring him back to the club, knowing that Nketiah has signed a new contract, and Jesus has just signed? He will be on the bench.
“He will only play a couple of games. That will be difficult for him. If they receive a very good offer for him, my answer is: sell him.”
Arteta didn’t comment on speculation over Balogun’s future when asked about the forward last week. But he admitted he is delighted to see him flourish.
Arteta said: “I’m so happy for him. 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, that’s why we decided to give him a long-term contract and have faith in him and give him the long period that he needs now, because the loan he is having now is really different to the one he had before at Middlesbrough.