Arsenal receive welcome Folarin Balogun transfer interest

When the January transfer window opens, despite there being relentless talk about who Arsenal may or may not bring in, the winter market is going to centre predominately around departures.

Amid talk of a new wide man being brought in, with Dejan Kulusevski the flavour of the month and Noa Lang links continuing to hover around, focus from inside Arsenal will be around moving players on.

While all is about as harmonious as can be in the Gunners camp there are still a number of players on the fringes of the first team who won’t be feeling quite as content. Not all of the January departures will be permanent ones though, as others will need to move on in search of regular minutes.

Gabriel Martinelli won’t be leaving, but another young forward may well be en route elsewhere.

Arsenal receive welcome Folarin Balogun transfer interest from Middlesbrough & Sheffield United ahead January window

Newly appointed Middlesbrough manger Chris Wilder has placed Folarin Balogun high up on his winter wishlist, reports The Sun, with there still being some uncertainty within the Gunners’ camp over what course of action to take with the striker.

Flo has been finding the net regularly for Kevin Betsy’s Under-23 side, scoring ten times and registering two assists in just eight Premier League 2 outings, with it widely agreed that he is a cut above youth level and needs to be playing senior football.

It didn’t require these eight Under-23 outings to know this, mind you.

"“I do feel like I am ready for a new challenge but I am not sure what that might be, it might be a loan or if I am needed at Arsenal then I am here and the gaffer knows that,” Balogun said recently. “I am definitely open to a new challenge but it is something that whatever that challenge is I will be ready.”"

Despite the dodgy source, Wilder is someone who has been following Balogun for a lengthy period of time having tried to lure him to Sheffield United back in September 2020 when a bid of £3m was rejected by Arsenal.

The new Boro boss was in attendance at Turf Moor to watch Balogun net his first England goal for Lee Carsley’s Under-21 side, and with the winter window approaching his interest is unlikely to have dissipated by then. Furthermore, Wilder’s former side, Sheffield United, also maintain the interest they had in the 20-year-old from the previous summer.

So, would Middlesbrough or Sheffield United suit Balogun best?

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Middlesbrough Would be a Great Fit for Folarin Balogun

While these two clubs have been mentioned, once Championship and foreign clubs get whiff of the possibility that Balogun could leave on loan in January, he will be inundated with offers.

Another aspect that is highly reassuring is that the interest is coming from the second tier, where there are plenty of admirers of the Hale End graduate.

However, of the two clubs showing interest, the best move for Balogun would be to link up with Wilder on Teeside. Firstly, his long-standing admiration for Flo suggests he has a clear plan on how to use him, but most importantly of all is that it’s the place the striker looks most likely to get minutes.

The striking department at the Riverside is lacking in quality, with first choice pairing of Andraz Sporar and Uche Ikpeazu netting a combined total of just four goals in 25 Championship outings this season. There is now a reliance on 18-year-old Josh Coburn, who has come in and scored three times in six league appearances, while Duncan Watmore has just the one goal all season and is best suited in wide areas.

The opportunity to stake a claim in the team is there for Balogun, and while Neal Warnock recently got the sack, Boro are still only four points off the play-off places.

As for Sheffield United there is bags of experience for Balogun to settle in alongside, but also a mountain of striker to compete with: Billy Sharp, Ollie McBurnie, Lys Mousset, Rhian Brewster, David McGoldrick and Oliver Burke are all options in the striker role in Slaviša Jokanović’s 4-2-3-1 system.

Granted, 90% of them are absolutely dreadful, but there is nonetheless more competition for the Arsenal man.

Whatever the club may be, if indeed there is one, Balogun will learn much more playing men’s football somewhere out of his comfort zone where the weather is colder, the atmospheres are heated and the tackles are meatier. It’ll prepare him better than any youth football at London Colney.

He needs to get some proper minutes under his belt.