Stade Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot has admitted he expects striker Folarin Balogun to ‘take the next step’ in his career once his loan from Arsenal comes to an end in the summer.
The 21-year-old had struggled for minutes at Arsenal before his move to Ligue 1 last year and has responded with a whopping 15 goals in 23 games for Reims, seeing him tie with Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David at the top of the division’s scoring charts.
Under contract at Arsenal until 2025, Balogun’s long-term future is uncertain. The Gunners spent big to sign Gabriel Jesus last summer and have also found great success with 23-year-old Eddie Nketiah, and so will have a serious decision to make at the end of the campaign when it comes to their strikers.
There’s no option to buy Balogun permanently in Reims’ contract, but even a second loan has been effectively ruled out by Caillot, who believes the 21-year-old will be playing at a higher level next season.
“I think it’s impossible [to keep Balogun],” he told France Bleu. “These are boys who, when they join us, know that they are there to reveal themselves and this is a stage for them.
“So even if I don’t decide for him, either Folarin will return to his club Arsenal to have his chance, or he will be loaned out again or even transferred to a very high level club. He is a player who must go even higher.
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“So obviously, we will ask the question to him, who feels good here, and to his club but I think that today he will have to take a step. So we are already working on the ‘next Balogun’ the day he will be taken to leave the club. But hey, if he and his club agree to do another year at Stade de Reims, we will do everything to make it happen.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recently showered Balogun with praise and conceded that talks will have to be held at the end of the season.
“The plan is that he finishes his period there, assess the situation where he is, where we are, then sit down and plan the next chapter in his developing career,” the Gunners boss said.
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