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 to the Europa League.
Fans are concerned about the pressure on both of the players to score goals, and it was expected that an additional goal source would be signed in the summer transfer window to provide more support for the two strikers.
However, it is proving to be a blessing in disguise that Edu decided against signing a third option. The reason for this is because Folarin Balogun is currently high-flying in Ligue 1, showing that he could be a key Arsenal asset in the future and signing another player could have blocked his pathway.
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The young English striker has dominated the top French division since making a season-long loan switch to Reims in the summer transfer window. This has been proven by his impressive goal return.
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.
The Hale End academy graduate has already made a loan move during his short first-team career following his move to Championship side Middlesborough towards the back end of last season. This is why it is now important that the next best move for his development is another loan for the promise of game time.
The Englishman started the first Premier League game for Arsenal last season against Brentford, which was the moment it seemed he had finally broken through into the Arsenal squad. However, he was unable to make another start and was eventually loaned out to Middlesborough.
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 is now set to line up with Lionel 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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