Folarin Balogun looks set to leave the club on loan ahead of the new season. The youngster has been heavily linked with a move to Ligue 1 side Reims.
The Englishman has found game time limited since the start of last season, which has resulted in multiple loans. His Arsenal breakthrough has been made even harder following the signing of Gabriel Jesus and the contract extension signed by Eddie Nketiah, which put Balogun third in the pecking order for starting strikers at the club.
However, Balogun can take reassurance from William Saliba that a successful spell in Ligue 1 can change your fortunes in succeeding to breakthrough at Arsenal, as the Frenchman experienced a similar situation.
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Saliba was sent out on loan towards the end of the summer transfer window in 2021. The Frenchman was sent to Marseille after Arsenal had signed Ben White from Brighton for a £50m fee, which seemed to spell the end to Saliba's short career in north London as both he and White had similarities in their game.
However, Saliba was exceptional during his loan move, which saw him earn a national team call-up for the first time, and he was awarded the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Season award following a stellar 2021/22 campaign in France. The 21-year-old has played nearly every minute of the league season for Marseille, keeping 13 clean sheets over 36 appearances. He helped the side finish second in Ligue 1.
The Frenchman continued his excellent form last season into his first pre-season with the Gunners as the 21-year-old has started in Arsenal's last two matches ahead of the Premier League season, highlighting that he has impressed Mikel Arteta and looks set for the game time in the new campaign.
Balogun can take inspiration from this and look to repeat a similar pattern with Reims. Reim's president Jean-Pierre Caillot has confirmed his club's interest in signing the player on loan ahead of next season via French news outlet L'Union. He said about a possible deal: "He is of interest to us in the form of a loan.
Even if the finalisation of this file is a little slow, we remain on the alert,"
Balogun has already made a loan move during his short first-team career following his move to Championship side Middlesborough towards the back end of last season. This is why it is now important that the next best move for his development is another loan for the promise of game time.
The Englishman started the first Premier League game for Arsenal last season against Brentford, which was the moment it seemed he had finally broken through into the Arsenal squad. However, he was unable to make another start and was eventually loaned out to Middlesborough.
The youngster played so well in the under-23 competitions that before the signing of his new Arsenal deal last summer, there were a host of top clubs around Europe, including RB Leipzig, that signalled interest in securing his services, despite not making a first-team appearance.
Now with first-team football under his belt in the lower leagues, a spell in a top division, where he plays regularly, would certainly be great for his development. Reims could be the ideal destination for the youngster if a move materialises.
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