Arsenal

Arsenal

Premier League • England

Arsenal star turns back on Arteta with exit likely unless near-impossible demand is met

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

Folarin Balogun will refuse a return to the Arsenal first team without the guarantee of regular gametime, a report has revealed.

Balogun is currently thriving on loan in Ligue 1 with Reims, but faces an uncertain future beyond this season. Thanks to his form, it might be Arsenal’s best chance to cash in on him for a substantial fee. That said, there would be some regret at seeing him leave without making much of an impact for them.

Talks will be held in the future to determine Balogun’s fate, but a report from Football Insider has revealed some indications of how he is viewing the situation.

According to the website, Balogun will not be willing to return to Arsenal next season unless they can promise him frequent first-team involvement.

Given the fact that they already have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah up front, that may be hard for them to offer. Consequently, Balogun might have to start considering his options already.

This time, he feels ready to leave Arsenal on a permanent basis, rather than on loan again. Where exactly he will end up remains to be seen.

The news follows similar recent claims from The Times, which described Balogun’s sale as being likely in the summer.

Balogun has scored 19 goals from 31 appearances between Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France for Reims. Previously, he played 10 times for Arsenal’s first team, scoring twice.

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He also endured a loan spell with Middlesbrough in which he scored three goals within 21 appearances.

Since joining Reims, the 21-year-old has flourished. Therefore, he obviously wants to maintain the progress he has been making.

Arsenal consider new Folarin Balogun contract

Arsenal could yet reward him with a new contract on better terms than at present, but Balogun will be assessing all his options before he commits to anything like that.

Nketiah signed a long-term contract of his own with Arsenal last June, before they spent big to sign Jesus from Manchester City too. Therefore, manager Mikel Arteta might be keeping his faith in them for years to come.

Jesus has eight goals from 25 games this season, while Nketiah has nine from 32. Evidently, Balogun has actually been more effective than either of them during the same timeframe.

He would be reluctant to return to Arsenal behind them in the pecking order, then. An interesting few months lie ahead for Balogun as he seeks clarification about his future.

If they decide to sell him, Arsenal – who have Balogun under contract until 2025 – will have to work out what kind of asking price they can demand.

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