Former Arsenal favourite Aaron Ramsey has warned Mikel Arteta against selling Folarin Balogun this summer. The striker is expected to leave the club after his heroics in France with Reims.
Balogun scored 21 goals in 37 league games in Ligue 1 last season, outscoring a number of players such as Neymar, Wissam Ben Yedder and Lionel Messi. He also went on to make his senior international debut earlier this month, scoring in his second game in the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League final victory over Canada.
The 21-year-old will return to London Colney with Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and now Kai Havertz ahead of him in Arteta's pecking order in attack. And with two years left on his deal in north London, both parties are at a crossroads.
Balogun has already admitted that he has no intention of going out on loan again next season, sparking further doubt about his Arsenal future. "I'm not sure about the discussions that are going to take place," he said last week. "What can I say is that I definitely won't go on loan again."
Premier League rivals West Ham and Crystal Palace are said to be tracking his situation, though Serie A giants AC Milan, Inter and Napoli are all considered to be favourites.
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However, Ramsey believes Arsenal should reconsider their stance over Balogun, saying the USA ace is more than capable of performing in the Premier League. "I'm not the Arsenal manager but Balogun's very good," he told the Daily Star. "We played against him a couple of times and, from what I saw there, he's a very exciting player to have in your team.
"Arsenal have many great players but he's definitely got the quality. And yes, he's good enough for the Premier League."
