Folarin Balogun's future at Arsenal could be at risk due to Mikel Arteta's next transfer move. The Gunners are reportedly chasing a young striker, which would threaten Balogun's place in the team.
Arsenal have reportedly sent scouts to watch FC Dallas forward Jesus Ferreira. The youngster is set to kick off his World Cup campaign with the USA national team today against Wales alongside Gunners goalkeeper Matt Turner.
The arrival of Ferreira could stunt Balogun's growth at the north London side, but the English forward has sent Arteta a reminder this season why he still deserves a route to the first team.
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Balogun has dominated the top French division since making a season-long loan switch to Reims in the summer transfer window. His impressive goal return has proven this by scoring five goals in the league so far.
His scoring exploits mean that he has an expected goals-per-ninety rate of just below 0.5. This is identical to last season's Champions League final goal-scoring winner Vinicius Jr. It is even more impressive on Balogun's side when you consider the difference in quality between Real Madrid and Reims which allows Vinicius Jr to have a better chance at scoring in each game.
Balogun can take great encouragement with his current loan move due to the previous striker Reims had in their ranks, 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 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 development chance that Reims offers. Balogun can take inspiration from this and benefit from this crucial loan move, which is already paying dividends.
This is also why it would be a major risk to sacrifice an important asset in Balogun to sign Ferreira. Despite this, the American has also shown promise. He has scored 36 goals and assisted another 21 for Dallas in 124 appearances since moving from FC Tulsa. He's an out-and-out number nine and a player for the future, which is why According to GiveMeSport, the Gunners have sent scouts to watch him.
Balogun has shown in the last six months that he has the potential to become a future Arsenal striker in the future. However, if the Gunners do opt for Ferreira, then Balogun must be used as an asset.
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