Folarin Balogun took a bold step to leave Arsenal and move to Reims in France on loan at the start of this season.
The youngster is one of the finest talents to graduate from Arsenal in recent times and the club desperately tried to keep him when he could have walked for free.
After offering him a new deal, they sanctioned his move to France, where he has been shining so far and will certainly return to the Emirates as a more mature and lethal striker.
The decision to move to France was not easy as the youngster has never played outside England, but he explains how the Ligue 1 side’s manager convinced him.
The youngster told The Athletic:
“The option in France with Reims was so new to me. I’d never even thought of the possibility of playing abroad.
“The manager told me, ‘If you come here and do the right things, you’ll play’. It was black and white. It was just left to me to see if I wanted to take that risk and we decided it was the right step.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Balogun has the ability and character to become a top striker in the future, and this loan spell will speed up his development.
The striker has established himself in the Reims team and we probably should allow him to spend another season on loan at the club so he can continue to develop well.
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Personally, I see his career not being anything to write home about.
Maybe he will prove me wrong but I have not seem anything special, merely Nkethia 2.0.
+1
Better than staying in England and going to a championship side, where all they play is square ball…Jus sayin
Completely agree with NY.i read the full interview in the Athletic and I was impressed,I must say.he is making the most of his experience in France,from learning and speaking French,exploring life outside football.he also speaks about his experience of playing in hostile/pressured environments (Paris, Marseille..) and learning and improving tactically.