Arsenal finished the summer transfer window with just Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as the forward options going into the season. A lot of pressure will be placed on both forwards with a heavy fixture schedule due to the club set to participate in four competitions, including the Premier League, Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
However, it could prove to be a blessing in disguise that Edu decided against signing a third option. This is because Folarin Balogun is currently high-flying in Ligue 1.
The Englishman has impressed in the top division in France during the opening weeks of the campaign. His dominance has been highlighted by the clinical nature he has shown since making the move and the fact he is able to compare with England’s best strikers.
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So far this season, Balogun has the best scoring rate per 90 minutes than any other English striker in Europe’s top five leagues. The Arsenal loanee averages 1.01 goals per match after his impressive start to the campaign.
Harry Kane falls below the Arsenal striker with a scoring rate of 0.85 per 90 minutes, with Ivan Toney ranking in third place with an average of 0.83 goals per 90. Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford also make the top five list.
Balogun has scored five goals in the league so far. This puts him joint third on the Ligue 1 top scorers list, having scored two more goals than Lionel Messi, and with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe the only players to have scored more goals than him.
Not only does he rank highly in France, but also compared to many other strikers around Europe. The loanee sits fourth amongst Europe’s top five leagues for goals per touch this season.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland dominates the rankings as Arsenal’s old target Dusan Vlahovic sits in second place and Terem Moffi is the only other player ahead of Balogun.
The youngster played so well in the under-23 competitions that before the signing of his new Arsenal deal last summer, there were a host of top clubs around Europe, including RB Leipzig, that signalled interest in securing his services, despite not making a first-team appearance. Now with first-team football under his belt in the lower leagues, a spell in a top division, where he plays regularly, would certainly be great for his development. Reims is already proving to be the ideal destination for the young striker.
Balogun can take great encouragement with his new move due to the previous striker Reims had in their ranks in Hugo Ekitike. The youngster was also a striker who was equipped with a lot of potential which eventually saw him develop and land a mega-money move to Ligue 1 champions Paris-Saint Germain.
Ekitike was sold to European giants PSG for €35million (£30 million) at the age of 20. The youngster now lines up with Messi and Neymar for the best team in France.
The Frenchman's quick rise to becoming an excellent striker at just 20 years old highlights the quality development chance that Reims offers. Balogun can take inspiration from this and benefit from this crucial loan move, which is already paying dividends.
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