Arsenal: Folarin Balogun close to long-term contract u-turn

Arsenal are on the verge of agreeing a new long-term contract for Folarin Balogun, bringing an end to months of speculation about the striker’s future.

Who saw this coming? Perhaps only one person: Mikel Arteta.

The manager has been unwavering in his confidence of tying Folarin Balogun down to a new contract at Arsenal, this despite unrelenting speculation that he may leave the club having been allowed to speak to sides across the continent since January.

With his deal running out in the summer and being unwilling to commit to a new contract over a perceived lack of faith in his route to the first team, an exit from the club looked destined come the end of the season.

Folarin Balogun close to stunning new long-term contract at Arsenal in major future u-turn

Irrespective of the disgruntlement from the player and the endless rumours, Arteta remained confident.

"“I think I am pretty positive about it and every time I spoke to him, he mentions the same thing, that he’s determined to stay here, that he wants to stay here,” he said in March.“We have had some really positive conversations with his agent as well and Edu is in charge of that.“He’s been spending a lot of time and energy to make that deal happen because it’s important for us to keep our talent in the house, and what we can guarantee is that we’re doing everything we can to keep him.”"

And now, as per the Daily Mail, the manager has succeeded in his efforts of convincing Balogun that his future lies in north London, with a new long-term deal – thought to be four years – ‘close’.

Said to be on the verge of putting pen to paper, this will be seen as one of few positives amid months of toxicity and criticism, some of which stemmed from the situation surrounding the 19-year-old’s future.

It’s a huge turn up for the books, but one that was part of an area of the squad in desperate need of tending to. Alexandre Lacazette will likely be moved on with one year left on his deal in the summer, and Eddie Nketiah’s time at Arsenal is also without assurances having played no first team football all season. In fact he has been playing alongside Balogun with the Under-23 squad.

In a summer that has umpteen issues to tackle, one appears to have been resolved early, albeit also late.