While we are all waiting for Emile Smith-Rowe to sign his new Arsenal contract, with the crazy transfer rumours saying that Aston Villa are trying to tempt him into refusing to sign, it may be worth thinking back to just six months ago, when everyone was pretty certain that Falorin Balogun, with just six months left on his contract, was going to be tempted to leave as a free agent.
But Edu and Mikel Arteta managed to persuade the young promising starlet to sign on the dotted line, as they did a little earlier with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli before him.
So the Gunners now have a great selection of young talents to choose from, and hopefully we will be able to see Balogun finally playing in the first team in pre-season, and he can prove to Arteta that he can be just as lethal playing against a better class of opponent than he has faced so far in his Europa League appearances last season.
Balogun has been seen training with the first team squad this week, and with two games against Hibs and Rangers coming up in the next ten days, hopefully he will get a chance to prove himself before Arteta anounces the squad to go to America for the Florida Cup.
I’m hoping he is going to be the next young Gunner to become a regular in the Arsenal first team…
I watched Nketiah training with a straight face on Arsenal’s YouTube channel two hours ago. So maybe Arteta will play him ahead of Balogun, to make him sign the new contract
Chris Wheatley is reporting that Kido Taylor-Hart is set to sign a new long-term contract.. Good news, gai!
Nice, hopefully we’ll see him in pre-season
Balogun should be given a chance… I feel like he is a hybrid of Henry+vanisterloy+Drogba.
Hmmm actually Henry and Aguero
All those CFs are taller than Balogun. Van Nistelrooy and Drogba were great in aerial duels, whereas Henry was one of the paciest forward in the world
I’ve been clamouring for Balogun to be given a chance to play in EPL games. Believe me, am seeing a new Drogba in Balogun. Arteta should give him a chance to prove himself because, I believe he will be a real good asset for us.
Let’s see what he can do in pre-season
GAI You don’t need to be exceptionally tall to be great in aerial duals.
True. But I notice that most aerially-dominant CFs are 184 cm tall and above, and possess great upper body strength
I really hope Balogun gets to play in a couple matches, even a start or 2.
What more is there to see from Nketiah? Why persist with someone clearly not good enough, when there is another youngster who can possibly offer more.
Please don’t waste valuable time on a player clearly not ready to step up at Arsenal.
Us will know who and who ate the Gunners whom Arteta will select to play against Hibs & Rangs wn d time comes.
But what has been delaying d ESR contract extension for him by club? Could it be that A Villa are having his head being turned with a better contract offer him to come to them than Arsenal have on the table for him to extend for them?
Certainly, it can’t be the guarantee to regularly play for the club when he’s fit and inform that he needs which he hasn’t been guaranteed that’s delaying his signing to extend..
Because Arsenal have already guaranteed him that already from last season.
Samuel
I can’t guarantee that ESR will sign again. Would you bet against it?
Seen Eddie,now is time for some Balon’dgoal
Are you Spuds? One thing for sure is that your not Gunners. Nketiah is a goal machine that is still young, we need to keep all of this crop of youngster’s, they are our future and all superstars in the making… including Nketiah, Sako, Martinelli, ESR, Balogun. As well as Saliba and Guendouzi. We could do inate for years by giving these youngster’s much needed experience this season. I’d be willing to write this season off to blood all these youngters. The likes of Auba, Laca, Pepe and William would need to fight to get into the 1st eleven and not automatically picked because they are on a high wage. We definitely need Guendouzi and Saliba back in the team, Arteta should deploy some man-management skills otherwise we will lose these players and they will come back and bite us like Serge Gnabry. Would we have outed Viera because of a tunnel bust up with Roy Keane, how about Brendan Rodgers and Suarez’s peculiar biting antics- draw a line underneath, move on and chalk that one under ‘passionate’ (not Suarez, that’s just weird). Why has Guendouzi been loaned out, absolute madness when he is a solid DM with decent long range passing, exactly what we need, otherwise who have we got Elneny?! Saliba we sign for £29M for 5 years and then loan him out for 2 years and now possibly another 3rd year- ludicrous when he has stats like Van Dyke from his last loan. If we are not top three in November I expect the Kronkes will sack him before their reputation is completely shattered with the fans, it’s hanging on a thread at the moment, Arteta is then replaced and the next manager recalls both from loan, (if there’s no option to buy, I hope not but depends on size of Arteta’s ego!). In my opinion, it’s Arteta that needs to be loaned out… I heard there’s a club down the road who just got a new manager, apparently he’s looking for an assistant to help him with training 😉
Nketia, a goal machine? Lemme take a moment to process that.
AndyE, PLEASE TELL ME ONE THING! Shouldn’t a “goal machine ” score goals or at least make them! To call the non -productive, far too lightweight, both in body and metaphorically , Nketiah, “a goal machine” is an hilarious description!
LAUGHABLE IN THE EXTREME, IN FACT.
I could suggest that YOU are a Spud, as you want that trouble maker Guendouzi back in our team and club. Mercifully for TRUE GOONERS, that will NOT be happening , thanks to our sensible manager who is getting him away very soon now.
MA will be making a big mistake if he continues to play Nketiah ahead of Balogun. Balogun has much better talent and positioning awareness than Nketiah, who has been given so many chances. Now Balogun must be given the chance to prove his worth to the team.
As for ESR signing an extension, Arsenal must make all efforts to see to it that he does not see Villa as a more ambitious and progressive club than Arsenal, we cannot afford to lose such a talent.
👍
There is no way ESR will choose AstonVilla over Arsenal. It will be like choosing to go back to kindergarten rather than go up to College. He has a guaranteed spot in AFC already. Let the guys give their best and let Arteta do the needful and we pray for more luck in the new season. There is hope for us because the guys will have enough rest from playing less games this season. Let’s hope and pray for the best guys.
I would really like to see Azeez and Balogun to get a chance in EPL and start all of our league cup games.
It’s really unfair to leave these guys on the 1st team bench, give them 5 minutes every 2 months and then turn around and say they didn’t really impress.
Looking at the kids coming through the ranks currently, I wud say happy times ahead if managed properly..A golden generation might be upon us…
SAKA is a jewel,
ESR is a season away from getting mount & co outta the england starting 11,
Martinelli is knocking on Brazil squad door just needs a run in the gunners eleven to find some form…
We lost Martinez, prolly one of the best gk around currently.
Tierney aside injuries is up there with the best Lwft backs
Willock ,is a star in the making
Saliba , one of the best young CB in Europe
Balogun, frightening numbers for a young CF
Azeez…I have a feeling that he might be the partner partey needs.
Right back yet to be decided, if we get Ben ,then we good…
Future English core line up , if managed properly
marty……. Balogun………saka
………………….. ESR…………………
………willock………azeeZ/lokonga??…..
Tierney….Gab….Saliba….Ben??/tavares
……………………..Onana???………….
We could try the cups with these guys and see what the future holds..
I hope arteta gets it right this time and see the older guys are phasing out in the speedy modern game
If Balogun doesn’t get a chance in pre-season, when will he get a chance?
I don’t expect to see him too much this year, but fingers crossed he’ll provide a threat from the bench.5
Looking forwards to seeing Folarin Balogun in the pre-season. Got to play him because he can be our new Andy Coke, with us and not against us. Exciting.
The players I tip to come to limelight from this preseason are Azeez and Balogun……
Give this Balogun of chance to prove himself it’s as simple as that