Arsenal have recently been linked with Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix as they look to bolster their attacking options. Felix moved to Spain in 2019 for over £100million but has struggled to settle since his mega-money switch.
The Gunners finished the summer transfer window with just Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as the forward options going into the season. However, Arsenal’s frontline is now under major scrutiny going into the January window amid a serious knee injury suffered to Jesus during the World Cup.
A loan deal to sign Felix seems as the Gunners' best option, especially when you consider the rise of Folarin Balogun this season.
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Balogun has dominated the top French division since making a season-long loan switch to Reims in the summer transfer window. His impressive goal return has proven this with 10 goals already scored in the league so far.
Only Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have scored more than the Arsenal loanee this season, showing the potency in front of goal that Balogun has. It also highlights why Edu must be shrewd with his next attacking transfer move back at the Emirates Stadium.
According to British journalist Duncan Castles, Atletico Madrid are prepared to let Felix join an English Premier League club on loan next month. The Spanish club are reportedly asking for an £8million loan fee, plus the player’s salary to be paid in full, and there would be no contractual option to buy.
This is perfect for Arsenal as it allows the assessment of Felix’s impact on the team before spending heavily, and simultaneously gives Arteta the chance to monitor Balogun’s progression for the rest of the season without blocking his pathway into Arsenal’s squad due to a permanent striker signing in January.
Balogun can take great encouragement with his current loan move due to the previous striker Reims had in their ranks, Hugo Ekitike. The youngster was also a striker who was equipped with a lot of potential, which eventually saw him develop and land a mega-money move to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Ekitike was sold to PSG for €35million (£30million) at the age of 20. The youngster now lines up with Lionel Messi and Neymar for the best team in France.
The Frenchman's quick rise to becoming an excellent striker at just 20 years old highlights the development chance that Reims offers. Balogun can take inspiration from this and benefit from this crucial loan move, which is already paying dividends.
Balogun has shown in the last six months that he has the potential to become a future Arsenal striker in the future. And, if the Gunners do opt to sign Felix on loan, then it is a win-win situation for the north London side.
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