According to German publication Kicker, Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun is a possible target for Bundesliga side Stuttgart.
The striker, 19, will be out of contract at the Emirates in the summer and will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs when the transfer window opens on 1 January.
The report claims that Sven Mislintat, the sporting director at the Mercedes Benz Arena, ‘knows the young attacker very well’ from his time as our head of scouting and that the German side could finance a package if they sell Argentine striker Nicolas Gonzalez. They also cite strong competition from Liverpool.
The Gunners have been trying to persuade Balogun to commit his future to the club for quite some time but an agreement is yet to be reached.
Both sides parked talks after negotiations hit an impasse earlier in the year and Mikel Arteta was subsequently reticent to involve him in first team training sessions.
Following a thawing in relations, the Spaniard handed the player his debut in the Europa League and he’s gone on to score twice and make an assist in five appearances.
Earlier this month, Arteta acknowledged the contract situation: “We are having some discussions with the player,” he said. “He knows we want to retain him at the club.
“We know the length of his contract at the moment is an issue but we are trying to resolve it in the best possible way.
“We want him to stay and he told me he wants to stay at the club so hopefully we can reach an agreement and extend his contract.”
We cannot let him just slip by, no way!
It would appear Eddie’s ceiling is second or third choice striker. This guy however could be a leading man. I think we need to flip the pecking order so Balogun is getting Eddie’s playing time. Nothing against Eddie but we have to act fast on this one.
Agreed. I think Balogun looks stronger already than Eddie. We need to sign up Balogun and possibly sell Eddie to raise some funds.
Some fans and their haste to write players off. Balogun will suffer the same fate as Nketia if they trade places. Nketia was scoring for fun at the youth level partly because he was a regular and he still score for England at the international stage. Even our regular strikers are struggling for form in this disjointed team and you expect a bit-part player to be tearing it up? Am not surprise some fans have written off our most consistent player for the past three years and even calling for him to be replaced by Martinelli. Martinelli is good but… Read more »
I don’t really think we know his ceiling, he is 21.
In 2-3 years he could be at a Brighton a Palace or a Villa scoring double digits .
What we do know is that he isn’t suited to our style of play and that he has certain limits in build up play and hold up.
So I agree with your statement that he needs to be moved on but I’m not sure about his ceiling.
I have no doubts that Eddie will be a double digits striker if he plays week in week out. At the moment though we can’t really afford to rely on him and need more than he can offer. In simple terms of getting a contract signed we need to play Balogun more. He looks powerful. He should be starting cup and Europa games otherwise no way will he sign a new deal.
Without a shadow of doubt. He is already a far better player than nketia. Involve him more. Can’t understand why Arteta does not.
For some perspective . Eddie and Balogun are totally different. I think Eddie is better than most realise his stats on all level club/country suggest that he is an elite striker for his age group and he has seemingly managed to carry goals with him to senior football. That said the way we play and the way we are asking Eddie to play just doesn’t suit us or him he is a box player in a team that doesn’t creat chances . Balogun may not be better but he looks to me as a better fit for Arsenal than Eddie… Read more »
I agree we are wrong to write Eddie off. Players develop at different ages. Look at the likes of Jamie Vardy and Ian Wright.
However, we have to admit that Eddie hasn’t taken his chances with both hands (or feet) and has put in a fair few average performances for us. He feels a little like he’s stagnated this season.
I’d personally love to see Eddie on loan at a lowly premier league club (no, we aren’t that so don’t make the joke!) from January on. And then move Balogun to the bench from there.
Eddie is like chicharito. Right place right time guy. Useful to have and mostly a bench piece, can come on when you’re pushing for a goal. Gets into good areas, but he does next nothing else (apart from a little closing down) except poach goals in the box. If your team can afford that then great, but most need the striker to contribute to build up and get into side areas at time to create attacks. Hence why Eddie is not very effective in the EPL because we’re creating so little,and even less with a striker that doesn’t add to… Read more »
Give the kid a prem start convince him he has a future with us and get him signed up…
Or at least give him the FA Cup game next week…..
Saliba and balogun and willock and even Nelson need a game in the FA Cup. If they don’t then we deserve what we are getting.
Maybe it isn’t that straightforward?
No no no no no no no no no. No no no no no no no
There’s no limit
Na na na-na-na-na na na
This is on Edu (and Raul) if Balogun leaves on a free. It’s not as if the kid has just started scoring goals recently. He’s been our top youth striker for a few years now.
To lose him for nothing would be criminal. Especially to the mugsmashers
And the manager too. He should be getting more minutes than a few substitute appearances in the Europa league final 8 minutes
Our retention and transfer policy is so screwed up.we stand to lose a very talented youngster on a free and yet sign a complete misfit like willian on a 3yr multi million pound contract.
I think if he were going to stick around he’d have signed by now, really. Sad times.
Annoying times.
When it comes to the nitty gritty – the things that separate us from the top six – this club’s hierarchy are fucking clueless.
Hot air and bullshit. That’s all they’re good for.
Stuttgart can fuck right off.
Better them than Liverpool or any other premiership club.
Better still, the club acts decisively and keeps all of our best young players
My point exactly.
Although asking this club to act decisively is as much an impossibility as it’s ability to keep its best youngsters and build for the future.
Those in charge of this club are utter shite at their jobs.
And to think – all the abuse Wenger took and we’ve been in free fall since the day he left….
I’d rather loan out Eddie in Jan and give Balogun a squad role. Then see whats what come may
I agree. I don’t think we can write Eddie off or anything, but this kid looks like he might just have that X factor to make it at the top level. Only one way to find out for sure, and that’s to give him game time
Are you sure it isn’t Bayern working through Stuttgart
They have Form!
He wants first-team football so either: involve him more with the first team to convince him to sign a new contract now; or let him go out on loan to a decent foreign team (like Stuttgart) on condition he signs a new contract now. Otherwise we will lose him for peanuts.
Unless I have misunderstood, we have effectively no leverage to “let him go out on loan , , , on condition he signs a new contract now.” He just says no and leaves on a free in the spring.
Nketiah has produced shockingly less for us, for all the chances and minutes he has got. Balogun needs to get Nketiah’s minutes till the end of the season.
Can we trade him for Sven and send Edu packing?
This is ridiculous that we haven’t persuaded him to sign. After years developing him, it would truly be a shame to see him go. He looks better than Rhian Brewster who Liverpool let go for 20 million. The handling of contracts at this club is a real cause of anxiety.
Eddie nketiah is not upto premier league standard guys has never really lit it up when starting games in premiership for us what harm will it do togive balogun some mins in the premier league as ESR was class the other night and slotted into the team no problems at all.
Maybe the boy just doesn’t want to stay whatever we offer him
Why wouldn’t he stay, if he’s playing every other game and has been promised a role in the long-term project Arsenal is clearly working towards – oh.
Arteta & pals stop this shit and sign and PLAY this outstanding talent !!! Open your eyes 👀🙈
Good talent, but we must remember that no player is bigger than the club. If he hasn’t signed, then adiós I say. Shouldn’t be able to hold us to ransom….
I don’t think anyone sees it that way. We’re just bemoaning the intransigence (stupidity?) of Arteta and those in charge of things at Arsenal…
Point flying over Willian FC head
If playing more is really the top priority hopefully that fills Liverpool out. If winning and training under one the best coaches currently in world football then good chance we’re already too late. Tbh even as an Arsenal dan if I was in his shoes I’d probably go Liverpool. Even if it doesn’t work out he’s 19 and a few seasons playing under Klopp means he’ll basically have his pick of teams by 23-25
He will go unless Mikel at least gets him on the bench for league games. We seem to have heavily invested in old players and it would be depressing to lose real talent that cost nothing.
Sven’s sweet revenge.
I want to believe in Arteta, but I think his stubbornness and arrogance with players and playing philosophy are going to cost us.
Freezing out Balogun, sending Guendouzi into exile, publicly shitting on Pepe and Saliba while playing Willian game after game – even after he fucked off to Dubai – inconsistent and unwise.
Keep him and loan/sell Eddie. From what I’ve seen, I think Balogun has more to offer and isn’t as one dimensional as Eddie (whom is a poacher and that’s good, but we need a bit more than that).
If Flo wants to stay then there’s a career path at Arsenal, if he doesn’t believe he can do it then he’ll go. If his agent is whispering sweet nonsense in his ear then he needs to remember who is in charge. If he genuinely wants to stay then he needs to sort it. I really like him, I think he could be our future number nine and I’ll be very disappointed if he leaves, but he’s 19 years old and needs a bit of patience. If he doesn’t have patience then he’ll go and we turn our attention to… Read more »
I agree. I think he things at the moment he is ready for first team action. We can’t offer him that so I think he will leave. Can’t keep them all john-jules and moller is waiting in the wings.
John-Jules, to me at least, looks more suited to the wide forward role, like Mane/Salah. And there is no real need to factor Moller into the equation just yet, he has only just arrived. There is no reason not to keep Eddie, Balogun and Moller on long contracts and let them fight it out. Unless we sign a ready made striker this summer the pathway to the 1st team is quite clear for these guys. Laca could/possibly should be sold in 5 months time and Martinelli looks comfortable out on the left so no rush to move him central. Let… Read more »
If we let Balogun go, especially to another Prem club, then serious questions need to be asked about the people who are supposed to be running this club. Get it done ffs.
Can u imagine balogun at 9 flanked by saka n matineli? Thats the future ! For now pepe doesnt look serious to me.it will be criminal to let him go .imagine our bench with nelson n pepe in d future .imagine our midfield with rowe,azeez ,cotrel,cirjan n an experience n mature midfieder with partey ? Common ,in two to 3 yrs auba ,laca,willian will be gone .we need to start building now n giving the boys chance n experience. Look at the back ,tierney ,gabriel ,saliba niles etc common lets not let him go.he can dribble ,he can run he… Read more »
Apparently they’re withholding first team action as some sort of misguided attempt to coerce a contract signing? Truly idiotic and lacking any clue of what may be persuasive to the young talented striker. The more involvement, the more connected he will be to the team and the easier it will be to garner his signature. That, plus meet his length of contract terms — it only makes him more valuable to the club. His talent and potential are obvious.
He can’t make a 9 man subs bench. Or get a start in the League Cup or Europa He’s got Aubameyang, Lacazette, Nketiah and Martinelli in front of him. The writing looks like it’s on the wall He’s a young player, who wants to play, can’t fault that. If he’s signing a pre-contract elsewhere? We may as well just release him in January Allow him to go and spread his wings a few months earlier. If we treat him well now, maybe he’ll remember that if he blows up, and we’re back in for him. If you love something, let… Read more »
Why is every Balogun story full of people crapping on Eddie? Another Hale End 20 year old kid?
Can’t we hope Balogun signs and Eddie that keeps developing on the promise he’s shown too?
Eddie is just a poacher, Flo is a much more rounded striker, Eddie is good but he doesn’t add as much to the game. Flo appears to have a much higher ceiling. The ideal would be as you say, maybe loan Eddie out, but he didn’t get much game time at Leeds because of his limitations.
Because Sven knows this boy is quality!
Give him game time!
We used to have a clear path for young exciting talents to come and stay at the emirates. Now we just sign retirees instead and barely play deserving academy players.
That what happens when you dismantle the scouting network and bring “Dons” and Edu’s pals
If we lose him, especially to Liverpool, I will shit bricks. Being linked to Costa today has increased my annoyance. Anything decent Costa could provide is mitigated by VAR, so why do we need another massively over paid, old striker from Chelsea?
If we really want him to stay, show it by playing him.