Folarin Balogun has returned to Arsenal for pre-season training ahead of a key summer for the striker. With reports linking him strongly with a move away from the Emirates Stadium, he has just one week before travelling back out to America with the Gunners.
Arsenal will be touring USA in July as part of their preparations for the 2023/24 campaign and Balogun may well act as a major star for the trip after switching his international allegiances to USMNT. Having announced that he would represent USA, the 22-year-old was born in New York, he went on to score his first goal for his country last month in the CONCACAF Nations League final.
Balogun was part of a successful USMNT side under BJ Callaghan that won the tournament with the Hale End graduate starting both the semi-final and final matches against Mexico and Canada respectively. As one of the hottest young forwards in the world, his stock continues to rise.
In 2022/23 he scored 22 times for Stade De Reims on loan in France, more than any Arsenal player did under Mikel Arteta. He also banished memories of a failed loan to Middlesbrough one year earlier. Now, one year on, and Balogun is in position to make a serious push into the first team squad.
With Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz already in front of him, Balogun now needs to weigh up his options with a battle for the third striker spot between himself and Eddie Nketiah. The fellow Hale End star deputised for Jesus admirably last season, scoring four times in his absence, but failed to find the net whilst his teammate was fit.
Not only does Balogun's emergence pose questions of Nketiah, it also leaves much to be answered by Arteta, who has an assortment of riches in the front line after adding Havertz to the squad for a big-money transfer.
READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Declan Rice 'bargain', Kylian Mbappe complaints, Timber spotted
When on international duty he was asked about the next steps, to which Balogun replied: "I'm not sure [about] the discussions that are going to take place. I'm not sure what's going to happen.
"But I'm just committed to now; I try to stay present. I obviously want to enjoy the moment with my team and my family. What I can say is that I definitely won't go on loan again.”
There is now an effective ultimatum on the table for Arsenal to play him and make him a key and trusted member of the squad or sell him for first team opportunities. There are no shortage of suitors either. It had been said that a £30million ($38.5million) price tag had been placed on him but that has since risen to £50million ($64.1million) with Chelsea now amongst the linked clubs.
As he waits to prove a point to his boss, Balogun has returned home from holiday and is now back at London Colney for training. In images he can be seen speaking with USMNT teammate Auston Trusty at the club's base and is donning his No. 26 top yet again.
Whilst appearing settled for now, important weeks await for the club and player to decide the best course of action.
