Folarin Balogun is at the crossroads of Arsenal.
The Gunners striker’s contract is expected to expire at the end of the season, meaning he could go on a free transfer.
The 19-year-old has come through the ranks in north London and has captained the club’s U23 team, having scored 20 goals in 45 games for them.
He has also scored 38 goals in 41 games for the U18s and two out of five for the senior team.
The London Evening Standard reports that he has lawyers from all over Europe while his contract is running down, but as he is not yet writing new terms, manager Mikel Arteta is not give up to keep it around.
In fact, the Spaniard has given Balogun minutes in the Europa League this season, where he made four appearances and made two appearances, and in an EFL Cup fight with Manchester City.
And he has confirmed that he wants to keep the services of the teenager.
Speaking to reporters, as the Standard said, he said: “I am still very hopeful that Flo will stay with us and what we are trying to do as a club is, and this is what I am trying to do as a manager.
“As far as I know from last week, the player wants to be here, so I’m positive.
“I think he has come a long way in a few months. ”
Harry Sherlock at GIVEMESPORT says…
Balogun has not yet been given a proper chance.
He has been scoring goals for the youth teams for some time now but his path to the first team is not clear at all.
It looks like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in his approach, but it has to be questioned whether taking it off the bench again in games that are not too important is the way it is developed.
In his top five appearances this season, they have taken 74 minutes in total.
If Arteta wants to keep it, perhaps the best way to do it is to just show a little more credibility in it, and prove that he thinks he can be a star.
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