Folarin Balogun moved from the Arsenal to Ligue Un outfit, Reims, on loan last season and was tasked by his manager, Mikel Arteta, to develop like a man.
“Before I moved, the gaffer (Arteta) just wanted me to develop as a man. It was kind of like an open answer and it was for me to interpret what he meant by ‘develop as a man’.
By moving abroad, I’m starting to learn what he meant by that. It doesn’t just mean on the pitch but also off the pitch. I think by the time I go back I’ll be in a better place to compete than I was before I left.
Going on loan is always beneficial, especially for youngsters, as it gives them the opportunity to showcase themselves in a competitive environment, and affects the final decision making of the parent club, on whether to keep the player for the long term, or just ship him off to the highest bidder.
Balogun made good use of that loan spell, scoring 21 goals for Stade de Reims, coming back to Arsenal in full confidence, confirming that he was not going on loan this season, thereby giving his manager a lowkey ultimatum to either play him consistently or sell him. It seems the Arsenal hierarchy called his bluff and choose the latter.
Balogun featured sparingly in preseason, suffering an injury that further dampened his chances of staking a claim for a first team berth this season. Even an injury to Gabriel Jesus at the start of the season didn’t deter Mikel Arteta’s plans for Balogun, as Arsenal have approved a sale for Balogun, valuing him at £50 million.
Inter Milan were the first to test the waters, placing a bid of £34.3m for Balogun, which is far less what Arsenal wanted for their man. Inter Milan turned to Balogun after their move for Romelu Lukaku hit a snag. AS Monaco was next in line, making an offer that was swiftly rejected by Arsenal. The French outfit are in need of a new striker and got a first hand view of Balogun from his days at Stade de Reims, but Arsenal has stuck to their guns, and can only part ways with Balogun for £50 million.
With moves abroad failing to materialize, Balogun’s agent began marketing his client within the Premier League, and within days, headlines have surfaced that Tottenham and Chelsea have declared their interest in acquiring Balogun’s services. Both teams are clearly in need of an additional striker, with Tottenham having only Richarlison as their primary center forward, while Chelsea has new signing, Nicolas Jackson, in their ranks. Former prime forwards, Harry Kane, has hit the ground running at Bayern Munich, while Romelu Lukaku remains on Chelsea’s books, but his career with them is dead and gone.
Chelsea has already spent £380 million this summer – the spending since Todd Boehly’s takeover is closing in on £ 1 billion – and now could be ready for another big outlay as a lack of goals, as Jackson, despite his xG and best underlying stats, has failed to find the back of the net in his last two Premier League games. At least, he has performed better than Richarlison, who has been largely anonymous since trying to fill the massive boots left by Harry Kane’s departure.
Another team that has joined the equation is Fulham, who seemed to be out of proceedings after the signing of Raul Jimenez from Wolves. However, a window of opportunity may have opened up after it was revealed that top striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic, has left to join Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League for a fee worth roughly £45million. With a certified goalscorer now gone, it could well open the path towards the side making a push for Balogun, with the funds to match.
It’s evident that Balogun now sees his future beyond North London, but with his current form and age, Arsenal are well within their rights to request for £50 million for his services, and I certainly hope that this target is met. With £220 million spent for Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz, as well as £43 million recouped from the sales of Granit Xhaka, Pablo Mari, Auston Trusty and Matt Turner, selling Balogun for £50 million or more, I hope, would bring some much needed funds to the coffers, reducing the net spend to just above £100 million.
Mikel Arteta clearly has the players he needs at the center forward position, with Gabriel Jesus leading a gang of predatory forwards like Eddie Nketiah, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard, who are all above Balogun in the pecking order.
At this point, the only way for Balogun is out, and it has to be for £50 million.
Sayonara.
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