Could all the hints about Arsenal’s transfer activities be indicating at Balogun staying? By now, you’ve read articles that should have convinced you that Arsenal is cashing in on the 21-year-old this summer. The latest on the USMNT striker is that Napoli wants him in case Osimhen leaves.
Anyway, so what suggests Balogun could be staying? Well, at the moment, most of Arsenal’s transfer speculation suggests they will be bolstering their midfield and defence.
Two top midfielders, a backup for William Saliba, and a right-back are on the transfer agenda. For the attack, there were links to Moussa Diaby (a Bayer Leverkusen winger), but that rumour saw no light of day; it died down, and there’s not been a clear link to another top forward.
Arteta may be satisfied with his attack; Martinelli and Saka have this year signed new deals; and Reiss Nelson is soon committing to a new deal. Those three plus Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Eddie Nketiah, who can all play any position in attack, make Arsenal’s attack powerful. Yet Arteta could do with another goal source, and Balogun, having proven his credentials in Ligue 1, scoring 21 goals in 37 league games for Stade de Reims, could be that.
Last year there was also talk about Arteta cashing in on Saliba, who had had a brilliant 2021–22 loan spell at Marseille, but in the end, the Frenchman stayed, and what a masterstroke that decision was.
Let’s see if Arteta will pull off another Saliba with Balogun.
Now the season is over, it’s time for the summer Arsenal quiz from our friends at Dublin Arsenal – It’s always a laugh and helps while away the time while we wait for Arsenal’s first signings to come in!
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I for one would like to see him stay! We talk about developing players and that’s what we’ve been doing with him over the past couple of years! He’s done well in France now let’s put him in the team and see what he can do! He’ll tell us this season if he will be a future superstar or not.
Said it before and I’ll say it again…
The opportunity cost of keeping Eddie and loaning out Balogun is high. Now we are stuck with:
– A subpar Eddie, maybe he’ll get better but st around 150 games for the FIRST team i find it a bit ridiculous that he’s still getting a chance, surely we should know by now? Not a striker that will win you trophies
– A hardworking Jesus but ultimately not even mildly prolific. Not a striker in the real terms of 1, although is useful and does his best. Better suited to challenge for a wing position.
– A conundrum called Balogun that should’ve been kept at Arsenal last season in place of Eddie so we can see what he has at EPL level. The loan was correct move but only because we kept Eddie. He could be a 20 goal + striker or he could not cut it….we simply don’t know now.
We are now left in the position of gambling on Balogun but would MA even give him a run of 5-10 starts to prove himself? Knowing his allergy to rotation I somehow doubt it.
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I don’t understand why you think the loan move was only correct because Arsenal held onto Eddie. Giving him the loan time gave him first team football every week that he wouldn’t have received in London.
He now has first time experience and has shown he can produce. Sure, whether or not he can do it in the EPL is the question, but if he stayed, it probably would have been a wasted year.
Sell, loan, or keep – he’s upped his value.
The question is; why would Arsenal want to sell an inform, homegrown striker that they haven’t tried out? When you want to make lemonade, you don’t grow lemons and when they’re ripe and ready, sell them, only to go back to the fruit store to buy some at a much higher price than you sold yours.
It’s worth giving Balogun a good tryout in the USA tour and any other pre-season games.
Whoscored.com only rate him as a finisher, and find him weak in: Passing; offside awareness; aerial duels won; holding on to the ball; defensive contributions.
So possibly a better finisher than Jesus & Nketiha, but with very little else.
Perhaps we’ll find out soon enough.
Let’s keep Balogun and give him a go pre season.
As has been said Eddie and Jesus can play anywhere in the front 3.
Why should a lack of rumours mean we are not actively pursuing a striker. We all know that the club does not announce who they are after. Rumours are just that, they mean nothing.
An article purely based on what rumours abound , just a week into June, reeks to me of being taken with a huge pinch of salt.
IMO, enough salt to keep Tesco going for a whole year.
Its daft to write such premature statements, so EARLY in the summer.
@Jon
[Stern look]
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Let’s hope our scouts do not sign up another Fabio Viera
Think we have to take a financial loss on this one.
I would opt to cash out Balogun now that his value has increased, buy a new clinical finisher who can be a beast to defenders especially with big champions league teams, even in premier league and loan out nketiah. I would prefer Vlahovic, rotate him with Jesus, who can also play as a winger.