Balogun tells Arteta that “he wants to stay” – Does he really?

Folarin Balogun has gained many pludits for his mostly cameo performances in the Europa League, including Arsenal’s 4th goal against Dundalk last night, and he got a special mention from Mikel Arteta after the game.

The boss said: “Yeah, he’s done really well. Every minute he’s been on that field he’s been superb and today he looked a threat again. He scored a goal and set up another one, and he looked really lively and mature on the pitch.”

But there is sill a cloud hanging over his future at Arsenal as his contract is up at the end of the season, and he could get a very lucrative deal this summer if he moved on as a free agent.

But Arteta still seems confident that a compromise can be agreed and tells us that the player himself has told him that he wants to stay. Arteta continued: “Well, we’ve been having some discussions with the player. He knows that we want to retain him at the club and we know that the length of his contract at the moment is an issue, but we’re trying to resolve it in the best possible way. We want him to stay and he’s said to me that he wants to stay at the club, so hopefully we can reach an agreement and extend his contract.”

Hmmm, I would think that if “he wants to stay”, then I don’t understand why they can’t come to an agreement. If Mikel is only hopeful then it sounds like Balogun is just stringing him along…

What do you think?

Tags Dundalk Folarin Balogun

19 Comments

  1. Sounds to me like another agent issue, he knows he can probably get a better contract elsewhere come January when the player is able to speak to clubs in Europe.

    This is where players need to turn around to their agents and say that they want to stay regardless of anything else, just my opinion.

    1. Yeh, nowadays the player signs for who the agent wants him to sign for ( bigger commission ) rather than who the player wants to sign for. I very much doubt that the player himself would speak to clubs. About time players told the agents what they want to do rather than the other way round.

    2. Why should he advise his agent against a better option beyond Arsenal.

      Stay at Arsenal with a novice manager, limited players and a useless board.

      How do you convince a player to stay , you play him?

      Read the Daily Mail article on RVP wanteing to win throphy and the idiotic Arsenal board present him with the fiancial

    3. Anyone in their right mind would keep Balogun. He is our best prospect besides Martinelli. We are not managed very well.

  2. I dont know what I think admin, present arsenal is not good for an ambitious players and it’s not looking like things will change soon, besides, there are about 3guys ahead of Balogun in the team, any decisions he take, I wish him good luck

    1. There’s no team in the Epl that has a 19yr old leading the line. So leaving Arsenal for playing time means going to a smaller club which is not as financially attractive as Arsenal. Going to another big club means he’ll have to bid his time. so why not do that at Arsenal his Boyhood club?

      1. Yes but there are teams where 19 year olds get game time in the EPL, our youngster is Eddie that gets the time….definitely no space for another youngster, especially in the same position. So it’s either Nketiah or Balogun, not both.

        Currently Balogun isn’t even being started in Europa League when top spot is guaranteed. Would you think your development is a priority when that happens?

  3. Saka and Auba were in the same situation few months ago but they all told Mikel they will sign and they eventually did. I cant see any reason a young player like Balogun would turn down an opportunity to Play for Arsenal. the problem is usually with the Agents trying to negotiate favorable terms for their clients.

    1. Think have changed since Aubu sign, I have no doubt he regrets signing and the current performance is not encourage.

  4. Malen, Gnabry, Reine-Adelaide, Bennacer…

    Few examples we’ve let go in thr past 4 years and have gone to be worth of tens of millions.

    We musnt repeat the mistake.

  5. The situation with Balogun is common throughout the game, and much will depend on the acumen of Arteta to convince the young man that he will get regular game time throughout the season.Sadly the influence of Agents seems to be ever increasing and many are principally concerned with lining their own pockets.If Balogun is an intelligent young man, and I don’t doubt that he is, he will realise that our Club currently does not have an outstanding centre forward like Jiminez of Wolves, and that there is a gap waiting to be filled in that position.Is he the young man to fill the gap?.Does he himself believe that he has what it takes to be our number nine in the not too distant future.If he does he should sign a new contract.

  6. It would be nearer the truth to argue that MA and Balogun are waiting for a while to see what happens with either his development on MA ‘s side and his proper Prem chances to show that on Baloguns side. So its chicken and egg really! And which comes first will decide the outcome.

    I believe that IF -and it is an if – Balogun gets chances to play in the Prem, which he deserves IMO, and in front of Nketiah btw, then and only then he will want to sign a new contract.
    The club are clearly still not as sold on him as some on here, myself included. I see a natural goalscorer and someone who COULD develop into another Calvin- Klein. TALL, STRONG, QUICK AND HUNGRY. It would be a grave error not to give him an extended chance and in the Prem too , where it really counts!

    I’d play him against Burnley and drop AUBA. But then that’s always my philosophy; play a hungry player before you play one who doesn’t show hunger.

    1. @jon fox, well said, sometimes I wonder if we fans see improvement in players,

      Why Arteta and he’s crew don’t see similar,
      He’s been playing Xhaka and Ceballos with no improvement, just seems so stupid,

      Azeez , Balogun, Smith-Rowe, Willock and especially Maitland-Niles have shown zeal and hunger, yet Arteta has refused to play them, even if it were for the last 10mins

      Really sad.

      1. As a firm supporter of MA , his nevertheless weird decIsion to deny BALOGUN A FULL GAME YESTERDAY WITH THE GROUP ALREADY WON AND PLAYING MINNOWS, ASTOUNDED ME.

        He missed an ideal chance to see this talented striker play a full game, instead of a measly 28 mins, in which he still, however, looked the real deal!

  7. At first, Arteta seemed like a brave one. But he’s been increasingly scared of losing that he is guaranteed to lose. Give Balogun and other burgeoning youngsters and bench nonperforming Willian and others. You don’t make a great coach if you too scared to try new things.

  8. MA is decietful. He talks one thing but does the other. He is the reason why Baligun wants to leave. Balogun loves Arsenal but MA is the stumbling block. How can one explain that Nketia gets lots of game time Balogun gets zero.

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