Arsenal: 5 transfer moves to revisit in January window

4. Folarin Balogun Leaving on Loan

Now it’s confirmed that Alexandre Lacazette will play out his Arsenal contract and depart in the summer of 2022, the opportunities in the squad for Folarin Balogun to play are heavily depleted.

Still only 20 years old there is all the time for him to keep developing before he makes his hopeful mark on the senior squad, and with six months of being in and around the team every day a loan move for the second half of the season would suit him perfectly.

As with Nketiah, there is always a market for strikers in mid-season.

What could scupper any deal, however, is that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be one of the many jetting off to AFCON in the winter, which will limit the options Arteta has at No. 9.

Lacazette will still be the leading man therefore a lot will depend on how far Gabon get in the tournament. Running from January 9 to February 6, there is every chance the captain returns before the window closes in which case the opening is there for Balogun to move out on loan.

It was a deal that should have been found in the summer window, with the only reason for it not happening perhaps being related to Arsenal clinging on hope of finding a buyer for Lacazette. You’d hope so anyway, as Balogun not even making EFL Cup second round squads is hardly beneficial to his development.