Arsenal ‘convinced’ teenage ‘sensation’ is £50m+ talent as ‘elite rivals line up bids’ to prise him away

Lewis Oldham
Arsenal star Balogun

Arsenal are reportedly ‘convinced’ that Folarin Balogun will ‘soon be worth more than £50m’ as he continues to shine in Ligue 1 for Reims.

The England U21 international was always highly rated as he progressed through Arsenal’s academy. He made his debut for his boyhood club during the 2020/21 season.

The 21-year-old had a loan at Championship side Middlesbrough last season and he was able to score three times in 20 appearances.

Ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, Balogun joined Ligue 1 outfit Reims on loan for the season. The young forward has been in superb form so far this term.

Balogun has netted 15 goals in just 21 appearances and 14 of his goals have come in Ligue 1. He scored a hat-trick over the weekend to move clear of PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe as the division’s top goalscorer.

Football Insider are reporting that ‘Arsenal are convinced loan sensation Balogun will soon be worth £50m+’.

The Gunners are ‘in no doubt’ that the youngster ‘has the potential to be a first-team starter’ over the next couple of years.

Arsenal may face a battle to keep hold of him though as the report notes that ‘there is already talk of elite rivals lining up bids’. If they do end up selling him, they will earn a sizable fee as they expect his value to ‘rocket’ before the end of the season.

Balogun penned a four-year contract extension in 2021 so his current deal is not due to expire until 2024.

Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta is clearly a big admirer of the young player. He thinks the attacker has “continually shown his natural ability”.

“We have been extremely impressed with Flo this season,” Arteta said back in 2021.

“He has continually shown his natural ability in many training sessions with us and we have been equally impressed with his early integration into the first-team squad on matchdays. He has given us glimpses of the performances and of course his two goals already for the first team.

“The hard work starts here for Flo and we are all looking forward to supporting and working with him in the years to come.”

Speaking back in October, Balogun insisted: “Arsenal is my family. For me, the club represents brotherhood and unity. There, I learned always to push my limits. I remember from training the permanent desire to progress on a technical level.

“I think by the time I go back I’ll be in a better place to compete than I was before I left. I realised there were certain things I would struggle with, but I think that’s a good thing. It helps you to manage stuff you’re uncomfortable with which is important.”

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