After looking all summer that he would be leaving the club, Folarin Balogun’s future at Arsenal might have just taken a dramatic late shift.
Reports suggested that clubs like Sheffield United were very much interested in signing him, but than an £8m valuation on a youngster whose contract is coming to an end at the finish of this season, was considered a bit too steep.
And that may have just played into Arsenal’s hands. With the Gunners once again in the Europa League, Mikel Arteta has the perfect opportunity to blood his youngsters, and on Thursday night against Dundalk, he gave Balogun his debut in the second-half.
Whilst he ended up playing just 16 minutes, that time was enough to see some of the unique qualities that Balogun possesses. He only six touches, but his movement off the ball was the more impressive thing.
He was constantly looking to get in behind and playing on the Dundalk defenders’ shoulders, and could have had a one-on-one opportunity had Reiss Nelson released the ball to him after a barn-storming run through the middle of the pitch.
Speaking after the game, Arteta made it clear just how much he rates him, and sent a message to his young striker. He said: “He’s a player that I really like.
“Obviously I’ve got this situation and I believe it’s later than what I would like because I wasn’t here when everything started to develop but yes, he’s a player that I would like to give chances to. That’s why he was in the squad today and I showed him that yes, we count on him and we believe in him and if he wants, he’s going to have a future in the club.”
With Edu the club’s technical director, it’ll fall on him to ensure one of Arsenal’s brightest academy prospects doesn’t end up leaving for pastures new. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s contract already sorted in the summer, Balogun surely has to be the club’s next priority.