Mikel Arteta lauds Folarin Balogun; says his potential is huge

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Mikel Arteta has suggested that it was not fair how little Folarin Balogun played for Arsenal before his loan exit, as he lauded the youngster’s potential, in comments reported by Football London.

Balogun is one of the most exciting prospects at the Emirates. He has been outrageously good for the under-18s and under-23s. In total, he has scored 75 goals in 103 games across the two levels.

However, he left in January to join Middlesbrough on loan. The decision came after Balogun went several months without a Premier League appearance. He has not featured in the top-flight since the second weekend of the season.

Interestingly, Arsenal let Balogun go before also letting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave. And with no new strikers coming in, some fans may have questions about the decision to loan the 20-year-old out.

Arteta was asked about whether Balogun would have left for the Riverside Stadium had he known Aubameyang was also set to be on the move. But he suggested that the decision was made for the good of Balogun.

“Again with Flo especially and the amount of minutes that he played here it was not fair,” he said, as reported by Football London. “If we want to develop that player and maximise his potential, which is huge, we have to expose that player to the level he needs to be exposed.”

Arsenal mistake was not signing another striker, rather than sanctioning Balogun loan

Arsenal fans, understandably, have often been desperate to see Balogun used more often for Arteta’s men. However, when he has been promoted to the first-team, he has struggled to make an impact.

So loaning him out looked a smart move. The real mistake Arsenal made was to not sign another striker.

Balogun is not yet ready for the Arsenal first-team. And getting more regular minutes in the Championship could be hugely beneficial.

It was baffling that Arsenal did not sign a replacement for Aubameyang. Of course, it is not easy to make signings in January. And making a panic buy would have been an error.

The quiet window may please Balogun. He will return in a better position in the pecking order. A strong spell at Boro will certainly help, too.