Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has suggested to Football London that Folarin Balogun could get chances in their upcoming Europa League matches.
Balogun is considered to be one of the brightest prospects in Arsenal’s academy, but he did not feature on Thursday.
Balogun came off the bench for the Gunners’ against Dundalk, but Arteta overlooked him in midweek.
And when asked if the 19-year-old would feature again in Europe this term, Arteta said: “The chances will come with the performances they show us on the pitch and in training. The better results we have then obviously we open the door a little bit to players that deserve it.
“We have some player we can’t give time to because we have a lot of fit players”
Arsenal have won their first three European matches this season, so they have taken a commanding position in their group now.
The Gunners could well seal their qualification in the very near future, which means they may have some games which effectively become dead-rubbers.
If that is to be the case then Balogun’s chances of getting more action will surely be greatly increased.
Balogun may actually need more game time to be convinced into staying in North London.
The youngster’s current contract expires at the end of the season, and he has already been linked with a £15 million move to Sheffield United (Examiner), as the club still try to persuade him to pen new terms.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
