Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun has rubbished talk that Ligue 1 is an easy league to play in.
The Hale End academy graduate is currently on loan at French outfit Reims, enjoying a stellar campaign, netting 16 league goals from just 26 outings. That has led to some critics arguing that the 21-year-old wouldn't be able to replicate those kind of numbers in other leagues, something that Balogun has now disputed.
Speaking to Onze Mondial, the New-York born striker said: “Ligue 1 is really very difficult. I am very shocked when I hear people saying that the league is easy.
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsdale breaks silence on Richarlison altercation during Arsenal's North London Derby win
"I don’t understand why this league isn’t sometimes respected like it should be, especially on the internet. As a Ligue 1 player, I can say that it’s a very, very difficult division.
"There are lots of good, aggressive teams, and that’s without saying that the best players in the world are currently playing in this league, and despite that, they don’t win all of their matches.” Balogun has been linked with a move away from north London in recent times considering Arsenal have a plethora of options upfront, with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah all utilised as Mikel Arteta's starting centre-forward at various stages of the season.
However, if Arteta's comments on the talented youngster are anything to go by, the Spaniard sees Balogun's future in N5. “I’m so happy for him," Arteta said earlier this year when discussing Balogun's time in France.
"He’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave.
"We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and the other choices he had. He was so convinced. I’m really happy for him because he deserves what he’s getting.
“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special, that’s why we decided to give him a long-term contract and have faith in him and give him the long period that he needs now, because the loan he is having now is really different to the one he had before at Middlesbrough."
READ NEXT:
Edu provides update on Arsenal summer transfer plans and reveals secret behind Trossard signing
Arsenal have moved one step closer to meeting Declan Rice condition for summer transfer
Latest Arsenal injury news as Mikel Arteta handed Sporting CP boost amid Eddie Nketiah setback
Rio Ferdinand urges two Manchester United stars to follow Leandro Trossard's Arsenal example
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
