The Arsenal starlet Folarin Balogun has been tipped for greatness since he was a prolific goalscorer at every level for the club, including youth and reserve teams.

Eddie Nketiah, who was signed from Hale End in the same summer as Balogun, had a similar meteoric rise through the Arsenal youth teams, but he too found it hard to reproduce his form when first introduced to the senior squad. Eddie was loaned to Leeds United in the Championship but didn’t impress under manager Marcelo Bielsa. In contrast, Balogun opted for a more inventive approach by joining the French club Reims.

Former Arsenal star and one of the safest bets on online betting platforms like sportwetten-vergleich, Thierry Henry, expressed his happiness for Balogun in the Standard, saying, “I’m really happy for him because English players don’t often go abroad.” He said most players are loaned to other Premier League clubs or championships. He’s a player of the old-fashioned English school who likes to run down the channels, but he was lacking in finishing.

His new manager, Fabrizio Ravanelli, has been impressed with what he has seen so far and feels that Balogun can go on to have a great career in France.

“Normally, players are loaned either to another Premier League side or in the Championship.

“He’s a very English-style player who likes to run down the channels, but he was missing something, which was his finishing.

He further said, “He’s now starting to score goals regularly, and I’m happy that he has gone abroad. It’s especially so considering he is a Londoner; in general Londoners struggle to leave London,”

“When I heard he was coming to France, it made me think he has a refreshing mindset.”

Moreover, despite settling in a new country and learning the language, the Arsenal youngster has thrived in France. As Balogun said, “I’ve spent my whole career in London so when I came here, I knew it was going to be different, I didn’t know the language, and I’m still trying to learn – but for me, it’s important to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. This is the reason I’m here and hopefully this decision will be good for me and pay off.”

So far, Balogun’s scoring record is impressive; he has netted five times in seven games, contributing half of his struggling side’s total.

Final Words

Making a name for yourself is no easy task in football nowadays – especially as a young player. Folarin Balogun will have to work harder than most to prosper in Ligue 1.