Arsenal facing Folarin Balogun & Eddie Nketiah decision

Arteta’s Choice Between Nketiah and Balogun

If it’s a straight decision over who should be playing for Arsenal in a choice between these two, Balogun wins every time. He is the prospect of the pair; he is the one who signed a new contract; and he is the one with a future at the club.

Whether it turns out as binary as that is another matter.

Just to add some tension to what will already be an uncomfortable few months of striker training drills, Balogun and Nketiah are represented by the same agency. The conversation of who the club wanted to stay and who they felt was best being moved on was being had with the same person.

The likelihood is that neither will play a great deal. Barely anything between them, which is a shame and a mistake for either striker in equals measure.

However, when Aubameyang heads off to AFCON and Lacazette gets a knock that rules him out for a few weeks, who does Arteta plump for? If injury strikes and the pair are both still here, does Arteta go for the far less experienced option who has a future at the club or does he use the soon-to-be-gone striker who has 53 Premier League and European outings to his name?

Furthermore, even when Nketiah was at his lowest ebb Arteta has done nothing but shower him with praise. Sure, he went for Emile Smith Rowe as a false nine in the Europa League, but Arteta has never been less than glowing in his assessments of the 22-year-old.

While Balogun was essentially chosen overNketiah, if push came to shove Arteta might not be as consistent with his process. After all, he fielded Sead Kolasinac against Manchester City. It wouldn’t be an anomaly for him to choose Eddie instead of Flo.

It’s a mess of a situation wherever you look at it as even Lacazette isn’t going to be blessed with a great deal of minutes this season, what with Europa League action deserting north London.

All of this also excludes the training ground atmosphere which could get frosty as Arteta tries to balance disappointment and disgruntlement, adding further layers of tension and frustration to a situation poorly handled.

Will either play much? Exceedingly unlikely. If the opportunity arises though, it will be an intriguing call.