Speaking in his press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League fixture tomorrow afternoon against Brentford, manager Mikel Arteta notably commented on the form Folarin Balogun has been showing in Ligue 1 this season.
The Reims forward, who is on loan from the Gunners, is the league’s top scorer on 14 goals – more than the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, or Neymar. He notably scored a last-minute equaliser against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, before following that up with a hat-trick in the Champagne side’s comeback win over Lorient.
The 21-year-old, who has two Europa League goals for his formative club, left for France having made 10 senior appearances for Arsenal, along with a brief, middling loan spell at Middlesbrough. This year, he has been a key part of the run that saw 30-year-old Anglo-Belgian manager Will Still oversee an unbeaten run in the league, from his arrival in October, with the team’s only defeat coming against Toulouse in the cup.
Arteta explains that he is “happy” for Balogun, and that “he’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave.”
The Spaniard adds that the forward was “convinced” about making the move and that he is happy it has turned out better than the brief time he spent in the North East.
“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that.”
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
