Balogun keeping all options open after starring on loan at Reims

Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun is keeping all options open with regards to his future after starring on loan at Reims.

Balogun has scored 18 goals in 29 appearances for the French side, making him the highest-scoring player aged 21 or under across Europe’s top five leagues this season.

The Arsenal academy product has made just two Premier League appearances for his parent club, who already have strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah on their books.

He still has two years to run on his contract at Emirates Stadium, but Balogun is unsure where he will be playing his football in the 2023-24 campaign.

“Contractually I have to go back. The loan was for one year so that was always the agreement,” he told Ligue 1’s website. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the future.

“A lot could happen in football, a lot could change, and it just depends on the conversations we have between me and the club in the summer, and we’ll see what happens.”

Thank you! @Yankeespic.twitter.com/0BOLAefnK0

— Balogun (@balogun) March 24, 2023

Balogun has 17 goals in Ligue 1 this season and is the only player to have scored against Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Lens, Monaco and Rennes, who make up the top five.

Asked if he would be interested in staying on at Reims for another year, Balogun said: “Yeah. I mean there’s no door that’s closed.

“Of course I have had a good year here and to a lot of people it makes sense for me to come back here. I don’t know what the future will bring.

“But I would definitely advise young players to come out here. It’s a really, really tough league, a league that will help you to improve.

“You get to play in crazy atmospheres. If you’re ready to take yourself out of your comfort zone, I would advise any young player, I would advise any young player to come here.”