Arteta and Arsenal are very aware of youngster's incredible form on loan

By Shamanth Jayaram

Arsenal sent Folarin Balogun out on loan last summer, and he has become a star for Stade Reims in France this season.

The 21-year-old has been one of the Gunners’ brightest prospects for years. He was always prolific at youth level, but his difficult loan spell at Middlesbrough in the second half of last season made many people forget that.

Now, everyone knows what Balogun is capable of after watching him at Reims.

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are ‘very aware’ of Folarin Balogun’s form

There were a few eyebrows raised when Arsenal loaned Balogun out to Reims in France instead of a club here in England.

However, after watching William Saliba develop in Ligue 1 last season, the Gunners decided it would be a good place for the young striker. They’ve been proven right.

Balogun has scored 16 goals in Ligue 1 so far this season. That’s more than Lionel Messi and Neymar, which is an unbelievable statistic on its own.

Arsenal fans have been really excited about Balogun for a while now and journalist Simon Collings has revealed that Arteta and everyone at the club are ‘very aware’ of what he’s doing.

He told GiveMeSport: “I think it’ll be something that Arsenal will sit down in the summer and decide. The debate will be whether you want to have three centre-forwards in the squad, which they’re going to have with Jesus, Nketiah, and Balogun.

“That level of depth in the Champions League could be beneficial, but Balogun himself might want to go and start playing first-team football every week. I think he can play anywhere across that forward line, which again, helps, but I think that’ll be one for the summer where all parties sit down and decide what they want to do.

“Arsenal are very aware of what he’s doing in France, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed at the club.”

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It will be very difficult for Mikel Arteta to fit Balogun in his side, but we’re sure he’ll be given an opportunity in pre-season – unlike what happened last year in the United States.

The Arsenal boss has Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Eddie Nketiah available up top, while Gabriel Martinelli can also play there.

That leaves little space for Balogun, but after a campaign as good as this one, it would be unfair to not even give him a chance to show his quality in pre-season.

It will be interesting to see what will happen with Balogun this summer, but we’re sure he’ll be a wanted man after his extraordinary campaign in France.