Why Folarin Balogun's contract is the most important transfer business Mikel Arteta has done

Why Folarin Balogun's contract is the most important transfer business Mikel Arteta has done in his time in the Arsenal hot seat. 

By Adam Le Roux

Never mind Martin Odegaard or Thomas Partey, the extension of Folarin Balogun’s contract at Arsenal Football club is the best thing that has happened since Mikel Arteta took over as head coach.

The grass may always look greener when bringing in new recruits from further afield - and raiding the two Madrid clubs to do so - but sometimes the best things are dangling right under your nose.

Balogun may have only made a handful of first team appearances so far, but he hasn’t failed to impress in his brief cameos in the senior squad, as well as his standout performances for the Arsenal academy side of late.

And after months and months of speculation that the teenager was in search of pastures new after being frustrated with a lack of opportunities with the Gunners, the news that his deal is all but secured is one of the biggest masterstrokes the Spaniard has pulled off in his time at the club.

Balogun looked set to say goodbye

There had been talk for months that Folarin Balogun had all but waved goodbye to a career at the Emirates amid transfer interest from a number of clubs last summer, but it looks as if common sense has eventually come to the fore.

Fellow Premier League side Sheffield United were said to have tabled a bid in the £3m region for the academy starlet before the current campaign got underway, but that was swiftly rejected by the Arsenal hierarchy.

But from that point it was a race against time to get the starlet signed down to a new deal at the Emirates, with his contract expiring this summer, and the longer the scenario was unsettled the more it looked as if the New York-born forward would be setting sail.

But despite being able to agree pre-contract terms with clubs in January, the striker hasn’t done so, and looks set to extend his time at the Gunners, with Arteta confirming just as much in his press conference this week.

“We’re going to make it official once everything is done,” the Spaniard said.

“As I said, I’ve always been very positive that he wants to stay at the club. We want him to stay at the club so, we’re very close.

“We just tried to, first of all, understand why he got to the point that he was really thinking about leaving the football club after being raised here and the feelings he’s built towards the club.

“Once you understand his position, you try to explain what you want to do, how involved he’s going to be in the project and how and then get the full commitment from the club and support. And Edu, who has done an incredible job as well.”

Balogun looks the business

We’ve already seem glimpses of what the striker can do in his cameo appearances in the Europa League, having bagged goals against Molde and Dundalk in the group stage as the Gunners secured their progression to the knockout stages with ease.

And even in his short time on the pitch as a first team player, Balogun already looks like the sort of goal-getter that would nestle in perfectly in this Arsenal squad, with both of his finishes showing a real predatory instinct.

A delightful finish on the turn against Molde saw him notch his first ever senior goal in Norway, before his calmness and composure to slot home in Ireland showed a maturity beyond his years.

Arteta has never been a man who is worried about throwing inexperienced youngsters into the first team, with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe delivering the goods after being given a chance by the Spaniard, and there is no doubt that when Balogun gets the same opportunity he will repay the faith shown in him by the boss.

Nine strikes in 17 Premier League 2 matches show the talent that he possesses in the final third and given the time to hone his instincts he has all the credentials to progress into the 20-goal-a-season striker the club are craving.

What does the future hold for Folarin?

Once the ink has dried on the proposed new four-year-deal there is a big decision to make for both club and player for next season - stick or twist?

Does Balogun get thrown straight into the first team mix - which could see his game time flounder as he watched Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette lead the line - or does he head out on loan for a year to aid his development.

There are arguments for either side of that debate, and you only have to look at the progress of Phil Foden at Manchester City for how a player can cut it at a top Premier League club without having to be farmed out to a club lower down the football pyramid beforehand.

And with the ease with which he has made the step up to the first team when he has been given the opportunity, it would be foolish to not at least give him a chance of domestic football to see how he cuts it.

With the Gunners’ league season slowly petering out, now would be the perfect opportunity to blood him into the side and get him his first taste of Premier League action.

Photo Credit: Getty Images