A number of clubs are vying for the services of Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun this summer, and RB Leipzig is one of them.
Folarin Balogun is opposed to a third loan outing next season, according to a report by David Ornstein for The Athletic earlier this week. He reportedly has no plans to extend his current Arsenal deal, which expires in 2025. The striker would be happy to play as Arsenal’s first-choice striker if given the opportunity to do so next season. But because that doesn’t seem likely, he is more interested in a permanent transfer.
Although Balogun has no animosity towards Arsenal, the club is clearly under pressure from him because AC Milan, Inter Milan, Marseille, AS Monaco, and RB Leipzig are all said to be interested in signing him and offering starts. According to Philipp Hinze of Sky Sport Germany, Leipzig and Balogun are in negotiations despite fierce competition and Arsenal’s demand for more than €40 million (£35 million).
Balogun, 21, has played 31 times for Stade de Reims this season while on loan in Ligue 1. He has assisted on two goals and scored 19 goals. With only Jonathan David (19) and Kylian Mbappe (19) having more goals in the league than Balogun’s 18, he is now among the top scorers in Ligue 1. That would seem to make Balogun an obvious choice to return and play for Arsenal, wouldn’t it? It’s unquestionably more goals than any of the current Arsenal strikers have totaled so far this year.
However, there are undoubtedly other forces at work. To begin with, Reims’ system places a lot more emphasis than Arsenal’s on giving opportunities to centre-forwards like Balogun. Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, two of the Gunners’ top scorers, are wingers, and this is no accident because the striker is frequently charged with bringing the wingers into action. Leandro Trossard, who joined the team in January and has contributed seven assists to his lone goal, is a prime example of this. It is unclear if Balogun would fit in with Mikel Arteta’s team and make the same influence he did at Reims.
Then there’s the reality that Balogun and Alexandre Lacazette both have 18 league goals this year. The relative merits of the two competitions are called into doubt by Lacazette, who struggled in his final seasons at Arsenal but is scoring goals with ease at Ligue 1. None of this should be interpreted as a criticism on Balogun’s season-long accomplishments. It is quite impressive that a striker so young is having such a significant influence in a major European league. Balogun will unquestionably be a highly significant player for the right club in the upcoming years. Arsenal’s belief that they can be that club is the only thing in doubt.
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