Sell Balogun – No way! by Patrick
Arsenal sent a host of players out on loan for the 2022/23 season and most of their performances have been impressive, but no one has been more impressive than Folarin Balogun. The American has taken the French Ligue 1 by storm with 20 goals and 2 assists in 33 league starts.
These are elite level stats for a player who was having only his first run of games as a starter in top level football. That only speaks to the fact that the 21-year-old has enormous potential as a centre-forward.
Arsenal scored 88 times in the league last season and were only second to eventual champions City, who scored a league-high 94 goals, and that is no mean feat. But there were times when it looked extremely clear that Arteta needed an upgrade on Jesus or Nketiah. The pair conspired to miss gilt-edged chances that cost Arsenal points. Perhaps if they had been a little more clinical, who knows? We would be referring to the Gunners as league champions and not City.
The footballing world today is devoid of elite centre-forwards, with the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema in the twilight of their careers; and in Balogun, Arsenal have an up and coming elite striker, who, at only 21, ranked among the top 5 highest scoring forwards in one of the top 5 leagues in Europe last season. Then, why would Arteta sell him? Is Jesus or Nketiah a better goal-getter than Balogun? Absolutely not!
To think that Arsenal would sell the prolific American and retain Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as their leading marksmen to steer them to the title next season is nothing short of ludicrous!
Yes, Jesus missed 3 months because of injury, but even before he went under the knife, he had been on a ten-game goal draught. So, finishing with 11 goals did not surprise anyone. Nketiah, for all his efforts, scored a measly 4 goals! How someone with 4 goals can be considered worth keeping at the expense of another with a 20-goal haul is beyond comprehension! Gabriel Jesus is a very good player. His centre-forward play is awesome. The way he harries defenders is jaw-dropping. Sadly, he’s not a 20 plus-goal-a-season striker that Arsenal badly need, Balogun is!
Should Arsenal sell Balogun? That would be madness! For me, Arsenal should not be going for a winger. They already have Jesus, who can be devastating on the right as we all saw during his last season under Pep Guardiola. Mikel Arteta must give Folarin Balogun a chance as a starting centre-forward. I’ve watched enough of him at Reims to confirm beyond doubt that he has what it takes to stake his claim at Arsenal. Reintegrating him into the team would offer Arsenal so much variety as they would have Jesus, Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, Nketiah, Nelson and Balogun himself to choose from in those forward positions.
If Arteta has plans of selling Balogun, he must drop them and give the lad a chance, he deserves it!
Ssekatawa Patrick
Video – Alfie and Rob are back for the summer transfer window
Here is their first analysis of the summer, where Alfie and Rob discuss and predict every single possible Arsenal incoming and outgoing this summer, including fees and potential destinations for outgoings.
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