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| Middlesbrough’s Folarin Balogun shields the ball from Hull City’s Ryan Longman during the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and Hull City at Riverside Stadium on April 9, 2022 in Middlesbrough, England. |
Ligue 1 club Reims are reportedly keen on signing Folarin Balogun, who
is not expected to play regularly for Arsenal next season.
According to L’Equipe, as relayed by GFFN,
Reims are keen on signing Folarin Balogun, with the young forward’s future at
Arsenal still unclear. The Gunners could allow the attacking prodigy to leave
this summer. The Ligue 1 are looking for attacking reinforcements and considers
the 21-year-old a viable option.
Folarin Balogun put intense speculation to rest by signing a new deal
with Arsenal last summer. But after starting the opening game against Brentford
last season, the young prodigy was barely involved as Mikel Arteta welcomed his
more seasoned attackers back.
As chances dried up with the first team, Arsenal decided to loan out
Balogun, who joined Middlesbrough on loan in the second half of the season. For
Chris Wilder’s side, the striker scored three times and assisted as many goals
in 18 Championship games last season.
The 21-year-old prodigy has since returned to Arsenal, and despite
speculation about Arteta reportedly leaving him out of the main group for the
pre-season tour, Balogun did make the squad. He also played a few games, but
his Arsenal future still looks bleak.
With three years left on his contract and his value intact, Arsenal are
relaxed about his situation. However, there is a chance the north London club
could look at offloading the forward if reasonable offers arrive.
French outfit Reims are in the hunt for new forwards and have considered
Balogun’s reported availability. The Ligue 1 club recently lost Hugo Ekitike to
Paris Saint-Germain, and despite the initial loan, they have the finances
guaranteed, allowing them to spend this summer.
Reims could also see Scottish forward Fraser Hornby leave the club,
which leaves them short of talent in the final third areas. Many still consider
Balogun a huge talent, and a fresh challenge elsewhere could help him regain a
footing in his career. Reims could be a good place to do so, although the Ligue
1 club are not looking to overpay for players.
It is unclear whether they are considering a loan move or a permanent
one, although the report suggests it could be the latter. Balogun is set
to have restricted chances next season in light of Gabriel Jesus’s
arrival and the contract extension of Eddie Nketiah. For
Arteta, those two are the first-choice strikers who are also capable of playing
out wide, similar to Balogun.
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