England have lost the battle to secure Folarin Balogun's services after the Arsenal talent pledged his allegiance to the United States once and for all.
The forward has opted to play for the country of his birth after spending the early months of his life in New York City before his Nigerian parents relocated to London, where he joined Arsenal's academy as an eight-year-old.
"I'm coming home, let's make history," he said in a video posted on his Twitter profile confirming his decision.
Balogun has played for both the US and England at youth international level and it appeared the Three Lions were winning the battle to secure his future with Balogun scoring seven goals in 13 appearances for the under-21s. But he was not involved in the March friendlies against France and Croatia as he mulled his future, although injury was cited as the official reason.
He was also eligible to play for Nigeria, but Balogun was spotted at the US men's national team's training camp in Orlando, Florida during the March international window, not long after he briefly had an Instagram story post on his profile reading: “In life, Go where your (sic) appreciated. B easy”.
On Tuesday his final call was confirmed, with Balogun's decision to change his nationality ratified by FIFA with paperwork confirming the switch. As he had not played a competitive game for England at senior level, he is eligible for selection for the CONCACAF Gold Cup which begins in June.
The 21-year-old is on loan in France with Ligue 1 side Reims, scoring 19 goals in a breakout season and he is likely to figure in Mikel Arteta's plans at the Emirates Stadium next year.
The striker has enjoyed a fine campaign in France after a brief spell with Middlesbrough in the Championship last season, scoring three goals in 21 appearances. Balogun has played eight games for Arsenal in all competitions since making his debut in 2020, scoring twice in the 2020/21 Europa League campaign.
Balogun addressed his future in an interview for Ligue 1's official website in November, in which he described England as his "home".
"I was born in Brooklyn," he said. "My parents were on holiday there for a few months because we have family in New York.
"But very soon after I was born, we all moved back to London. Needless to say, I have no memory of that time. But I went back to New York last summer, during my holiday. I had a lot of fun and took the opportunity to walk around the area where the clinic I was born in is located. There's obviously a special feeling for me there.
"London is my city, it's where I grew up, where my friends are, and if people ask me where I'm from, I say I'm English. But yes, I am a mixture of all these cultures."
Balogun's decision is a blow for England under-21s boss Lee Carsley, who is preparing for the U21 European Championships that get underway in Georgia and Romania next month.
Gareth Southgate is sure to be disappointed, too, with Balogun's scoring form in France sure to have caught the eye ahead of the striker's likely return to the Premier League next season.
Baolgun is likely to become a pivotal player for manager Gregg Berhalter immediately, with a lack of quality at his disposal in the centre-forward role shown in the World Cup in Qatar in December.
