Arsenal: Folarin Balogun Close to Agreement With Foreign Club

Folarin Balogun Close to Departure

As per The Athletic, Balogun is now ‘close to agreeing’ a pre-contract deal with a club outside of the UK. Indeed, despite Arteta’s comments on the very same day, it appears as if Balogun is due to depart Arsenal at the end of the season.

It’s stated in the report that the player and his camp question the legitimacy of Arteta’s statements, with the contract offer presented to them not improving despite long-standing negotiations. It’s said to be way off the player’s demands.

Football agents, you either hate them or hate them.

What we’ve seen from Balogun’s representatives is no different to what’s already been witnessed in previous encounters with Elite Project Group Limited. Also representing Reiss Nelson and Bukayo Saka, their contracts took far too long to arrange for these exact reasons.

This group have a history of running players’ deals down to garner the best possible financial package for their client. Whether this is with bonuses or just the overall wage, it’s been done before and will happen again.

Arsenal should never have let it get to this position in the first place, but now they’re here they’re being exploited by the representatives’ tactics.

In the case of both Saka and Nelson, the pair eventually signed. That, coupled with a similar instance when Balogun signed his first professional deal at Arsenal, which took a whopping seven months as opposed to the usual seven minutes after turning 17, does indicate an agreement is certainly doable.

All that can be forgotten about as Balogun edges closer to a move abroad. He and his entourage have not been content with the lack of playing time he’s received, and a move appears as close as ever, but not completely assured. Fabrizio Romano even states there at 15 proposals on the table for the striker.

If no agreement is found, and quickly, it’s highly unlikely he’ll get any senior minutes for the rest of the season.