There are quality Arsenal players whose names are being linked with exits. One of them is Folarin Balogun. The 21yo impressed last season on loan at Stade de Reims, managing 21 goals in 37 Ligue 1 games.
With next season looming, much has been said about where the Gunner will play.
While the belief is he’ll leave, with Arsenal keen on pocketing £50 million from his exit, there’s still a chance he could stay.
A few days, we noted how different Gunners, who would have quickly left, all opted to stay due to Mikel Arteta. Looking at stars like Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson, who had opportunities to re-establish themselves elsewhere but opted to stay, don’t you think Arteta can convince Balogun to stay?
Arteta: "Balogun? He’s just staying here with us at the moment and we will see what happens". ⚪️🔴
"Transfer plans? There’s still a lot of things to do. Things develop all the time in the last few things as well. We need to be really on it and alert". pic.twitter.com/l78oDFFZ3Y
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 14, 2023
As much as many feel Balogun could leave, the Gunners are giving him a chance to take part in first-team training, with all indications suggesting he will be given an ample opportunity to prove himself worthy; there’s a bright chance he stays. There’s so much to watch out for in Arsenal’s pre-season. Other than watching new tactics and new players show us what they are all about, Balogun is one player all eyes will be on. He certainly looked very lively against FC Nurnberg last night and clearly aims to impress Arteta.
Balogun is a top striker. People will complain about the the miss but if you know ball, you will recognise how he drives forward with ease, peels away from the backline and then manufactures a clean shooting angle. Personally, I’d never sell him. Baller pic.twitter.com/QXOa5zStAL
— Gooner Chris (@ArsenalN7) July 14, 2023
In a top team, no one is guaranteed game time; look at Phil Foden at Man City last season, but there are always plenty of opportunities to play. Nketiah and Jesus can be options playing from the wings, but Balogun showed us how quick and creative he is in front of goal and can fight himself into the No. 9 role in the starting lineup.
Who thinks Arteta should persuade him to stay?
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I’m not totally convinced with Balogun. Seen all of his n matches in France. Totally different league altogether. Didn’t help his own cause by missing two open goals this morning. Need an Ivan Toney like striker. Balogun shows more arrogance than ball skills. At Arsenal have announced Timber. Maybe we’ll get the announcement of Declan Rice tomorrow
In my mind Balogun has all the attributes to succeed. Because we could have up to 60 games this season we will need plenty of forwards and a good depth of squad. That’s what the best teams have….quality depth of squad. Personally I think he will come good this season.
Sure, Balogun has everything to succeed and I think our Coach ” Arteta” should consider the possibility to retain him at the club, we really need him.
Look at Man City, all positions has two or more players, Man City only surpassed us the previous season ’cause has two teams, please Arteta persuade Balogun to stay at the Club…
Westham will pull the plug on Declan Rice transfer unless it’s completed by end of today! Only Arsenal could mess up a transfer that’s been agreed pathetic!
I hope they do.
An astonishing waste of £105 million.
There are better (and cheaper) options out there than Declan Rice – a £50 million player if he was Belgian or Croatian but cost £105 million simply because he plays for the England national team – which isn’t much good anyway..
Agree..
Stop reading rubbish and calm down, it is simply lawyers drawing up the contracts because of the size and importance of it. He will be announced and will join Arsenal for the USA tour
Don’t be silly, why on earth would they!
Stop talking rubbish, where did you read this?
If arsenal have the money to buy a player 500m they should buy, the money if not spent on the squad doesn’t go into our pocket, all years we didn’t spend did nothing to improve fans life’s, I don’t understand why a fan should be complaining about money spent, as long as we are spending within the fa rules why then should we care how much a transfer cost. I am sure their are better players in your country who will come for peanut but guess what, non of them is declain Rice and that’s who the club has choosen
If Arteta really wants Balogun to stay then Balogun stays.
If Arteta is not that convinced by Balogun then Balogun will not be in the sqaud next season..
It all depends on what Arteta wants..
He needs to slow down and learn to walk before running, if he knuckles down and accepts he will not be a starter for a lot of the games, he could go far, he reminds me of Anelka with his attitude. Time will tell
The better question: Can Arteta persuade Nketiah to leave?
If I were Nketiah I would leave Arsenal in order to have enough play time elsewhere. To me he is the next Henry only that Arteta isn’t bothered.
Arteta is going to persuade him to stay.
Nketiah flopped at Leeds so I wouldn’t be too confident about him.
It is a concern that three players who task to get goals for the team but none of them shined last night. I know goals at Arsenal can come from all directions. But when your trade is to put the ball past the goalkeeper and you fail 🤔
Jesus can play on the wing but Nketiah?
Arteta has to chose between him and Nketiah. One of them will make the bench early in the season, the other may be thinking of getting out before the deadline day.
If I can get rid of Nketiah and Balogun to get a number 9, Vlahovic or Muani for example, who can be a target man and can be prolific, I would take that option. Considering both will bring in 60-80mil in transfer fee and combined wages can cover Vlahovic, that looks tempting.
Both player’s stats you want rid of are better then the then the ones you want to replace them which just does not make sense.
Balogun didn’t score last night but he looked more convincing than Nketia and even Jesus. he had the better chances because he knew how to position himself to create them.
He should stay. Why should we sell him and buy Wahlie?
Is that what we really want. With Nketiah, Jesus and the potential of Balogun we would still be without a player who scores goals for fun. Maybe with all the firepower elsewhere on the field we are not desperate for a prolific striker, but if they could get 50 million for Balogun with a buy back clause I would snap there hands off.
One thing is clear, if we sell Balogun we must sign a replacement with the number of games we have this season. Jesus unfortunately is likely to get injured.
Balogum only played 25 min.and he created the 2 more clear chances of goal;one hit the post and the other missed for a few ctm.after he eluded the keeper.Nketiah was replaced at the 75.min.and only then I realized he was in the team.
Your past actions determine what people base future decisions on. MA has lied to players before promising them roles, has shown to not play players just on form as well as has proven to not rotate.
Maybe he’ll learn, but if you were Balogun would you want to spend your younger years sitting on the bench and risk that on the feeble promise? I wouldn’t!
Balogun missed 2 sitters so unless we see better in preseason…
We are light on strikers IMO. Nketia did ok last season, but no more than that. This year, we need our strikers to do better than OK if we want to make the jump.
We spend so much money this window that it is not reasonable to expect a top striker to be bought. So if we can convince Belagun to stay and give him real playing time, to me, that would be worth trying him ahead of Nketia.
But going into this next season with Jesus/Nketia/Belagun makes me feel that striker is now a week spot in our squad.
Folarin can still do much better if he stay in arsenal because Jesus is not capable enough for the front door k think we should let folarin to stay until January before we can see if we should send him out or something else about him