Arsenal star tells Mikel Arteta talks ‘need to take place’ as Bayern become latest Euro giant to plot move
Exciting Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, who is currently on loan at French club Stade Reims, has told the Gunners that discussions about his future must happen this summer amid plenty of teams eyeing him up.
Arsenal shipped Balogun out on loan to Stade Reims in August with the hope that he would pick up more game time there and potentially chip in with a few goals. But they would not have expected him to reach the heights he has done in France.
The England U21 international has been in sensational form, bagging 18 goals in 29 appearances so far. 17 of those strikes have come in Ligue 1, with only Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David finding the back of the net more times in the division.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu will be delighted that Balogun is doing so well. He should return to north London as a more mature, confident and imposing centre-forward in the summer.
However, Balogun’s top displays with Stade Reims have led to interest from some major clubs. Italian sides AC Milan and Inter Milan are both understood to be watching him with keen interest. And on Monday, a report revealed how Bayern Munich have begun pursuing Balogun in what would be a shock move.
The 21-year-old appears keen to stay at Arsenal and reject offers from those major teams, but he has admitted talks ‘need to take place’ so he can figure out where he stands and whether he will be offered a new deal by the Gunners.
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“There’s talks that need to take place and it’s not a decision that will only be with me. The club will let me know their point of view and I’m sure we’ll come to an agreement,” the goalscorer told Sky Sports (via Fabrizio Romano).
“It’s nice that Arteta is watching what’s going on.”
Folarin Balogun wants future resolved
This is a clear message to Arteta and Edu. Balogun is telling them that he needs to know whether he will be given more game time next season and whether his weekly wage will be increased through a new deal. If both of these things happen, then Balogun will brush off the transfer interest and give his all to Arsenal.
But if Arteta cannot offer the New York-born ace plenty of opportunities, then his future will become less certain. One solution will be for him to go out on another loan, this time with a bigger club than Stade Reims. Although, Balogun may feel he has gone past that stage now.
Alternatively, Balogun may hand in a transfer request and push for a move to another club. He knows there are plenty of potential suitors. However, this will be seen as a last resort by the player as he would ideally like to stay in north London and fight for his place.
