Arsenal confirmed the departure of Folarin Balogun to Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims on a season-long loan. This is the Englishman’s second loan move since making his first team debut with the Gunners.
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’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.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta unlocks planned Gabriel Jesus Arsenal role with surprise bargain La Liga transfer
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.
This also means that Balogun has major boots to fill, and it is an excellent opportunity for him to develop and prove himself as another youngster who has incredible potential as a striker to be among the Reims ranks.
The Englishman has found game time limited since the start of last season, which has resulted in multiple loans. His Arsenal breakthrough has been made even harder following the signing of Gabriel Jesus and the contract extension signed by Eddie Nketiah, which put Balogun third in the pecking order for starting strikers at the club.
Balogun has already made a loan move during his short first-team career following his move to Championship side Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough.
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.
READ NEXT:
Mikel Arteta unlocks planned Gabriel Jesus Arsenal role with surprise bargain La Liga transfer
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates and rumours from the Emirates Stadium
Full Arsenal Premier League fixture list for 2022/23
Big Arsenal Forum: Answer the call as we ask fans 7 key questions
Granit Xhaka exposes new Arsenal 'mystery winger' transfer with Gabriel Martinelli comparison
