Folarin Balogun's game time was extremely limited during Arsenal's preseason ahead of the 2022/2023 campaign that is set to get underway on Friday. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are currently Mike Arteta's preferred striker duo going into the competitive fixtures.
With Balogun unlikely to find himself getting a consistent run of games in the new season, it would be best for all parties if he can find a suitable loan move. That seems to be the direction after he was left out of Arsenal's most recent squad in the Emirates Cup fixture against Sevilla.
Ligue 1 could be Balogun's next destination as Reims confirmed their interest in signing the youngster. It is crucial that the striker is guaranteed first-team minutes in the next club he moves to on loan.
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Reim's president Jean-Pierre Caillot has confirmed his club's interest in signing the player on loan ahead of next season via French news outlet L'Union. He said about a possible deal: "He is of interest to us in the form of a loan.
Even if the finalisation of this file is a little slow, we remain on the alert,"
Balogun 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.
Balogun needs another loan away from the club to be given more game time. According to the Daily Mail, Fulham are also interested in a deal to sign Balogun on loan for next season. It has also been reported that Marco Silva wants to sign the striker temporarily with a view to making the deal permanent.
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 could be the ideal destination for the youngster if a move materialises.
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