Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has waxed lyrical about Gunners talent Folarin Balogun.
The Gunners boss, speaking ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Leeds United, called the forward “phenomenal”.
Balogun has been enjoying an outstanding campaign on loan at Ligue 1 outfit Reims.
This season, the Hale End graduate has registered 17 goals and two assists from 27 top-flight outings.
Balogun is just two goals behind Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David in the Ligue 1 goalscoring charts this term.
The 21-year-old has also been in the news regarding his international future.
TEAMtalk has reported that Balogun is thinking of switching allegiance from England to the United States.
The report claimed the Arsenal gem is ready to make a commitment to the USMNT ahead of the Three Lions.
The Gunners’ media team asked Arteta what advice he would give Balogun about his international future.
“To focus on today, and focus on what he had been doing because he has been phenomenal,” he said.
“Keep doing what he has been doing and don’t focus on anything else, and everything else will come naturally.
“I would try to do what he has been doing because he’s been working really well for him and the team.”
Like a brand new signing
Quite a diplomatic answer from Arteta with regards to Balogun’s international future.
And rightly so. It’s not really his business what international team the Arsenal ace wants to play for.
From a Gunners perspective, Arteta will only really be interested about the player’s development and form.
And really, Balogun has been absolutely superb on that front.
It remains to be seen what Arteta has in store for the Arsenal academy graduate regarding his club future.
Reports have been doing the rounds in recent weeks claiming the Gunners are open to selling Balogun in summer.
It would be a controversial decision, as the academy graduate cannot possibly have done more on loan.
For the Gunners, who have only given Balogun two starts so far, it would be like getting a brand new signing.
At the same time, Arsenal’s centre-forward situation is already pretty impressive even without Balogun.
Arteta has Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard at centre-forward.
Likewise, Gabriel Martinelli can also feature there has also played there and done well this season.
It’ll be a difficult decision for Arteta to make regarding the £32,000-a-week talent.
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