United States interim coach Anthony Hudson has confirmed that he has held private talks with Folarin Balogun as the Arsenal striker continues to mull over his international future.
Balogun has impressed away from the Emirates this season in Ligue 1 with Reims, where he has notched 17 league goals in just 27 games. And while that form has led to many people tipping the Hale End graduate to be integrated into Mikel Arteta's team next season, his long-term future is still unclear.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a fine season, but he appeared to be less than impressed after he failed to make the 25-man England squad for this month's Euro 2024 qualifiers - and the Three Lions could now miss out on his services for good.
Balogun, who was born in New York, has mostly represented England at youth levels but did feature for the United States at Under-18 level back in 2018. It has now emerged that the striker, who is currently in the United States, has recently held discussions with the USMNT.
Interim coach Hudson told the media on Thursday: “As I've said before, we've had dialogue. We've spoken. He's out here having a bit of a break and then some training, and we've had some discussions.
“I think it's been good because it's been an opportunity for us just to share about our program and who we are and what we do and that's it. I hope we get the chance to speak to him again. It's been good and I know a few of the guys have spoken to him as well.”
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Although the United States are pushing hard to acquire Balogun's services, the striker is also eligible to represent Nigeria. It remains to be seen if he will switch allegiance after sharing a cryptic social media message following the announcement of Gareth Southgate's England squad. In a post shared to his Instagram story, Balogun said: “In life, go where you're appreciated. Be easy.”
As well as being at the centre of speculation over his international allegiance, Balogun's domestic future is also being scrutinised. After impressing in France, it remains to be seen if Arsenal will give Balogun a chance to impress in the Premier League next term.
But England U21 head coach Lee Carsley believes that Balogun has all the attributes required to make an impact in the top-flight - if he's given a chance to do so.
After stressing that Balogun had given him no inkling that he was considering switching his international allegiance, Carsley said of the striker's Premier League prospects: “I’ve been watching quite a lot of (Ligue 1) this season because of the three lads that we’ve got there. Physically, it’s very similar. There’s a lot of athletic, very, very strong players there. And he’s done well. Who knows? I think given the opportunity I’m sure he would do very well.”
