Arsenal can shift full attention to deserving Folarin Balogun

If there was any uncertainty before, there is none now. Eddie Nketiah has no intention of staying at Arsenal beyond the current season after rejecting a new deal, which is hardly much of a surprise.

A last ditch effort was made for an extension on his current contract, one that admittedly looks more like an effort to improve his terms, as were he to leave on a bosman free transfer in the summer at least Arsenal could earn more from the fee set by a tribunal. In any case, he’s not staying.

What this does is pushes through on the desire to sell him in January. He’s wanted across Europe, with the Bundesliga especially keen, although any foreign move is almost certainly going to result in him seeing out the season.

Whether he stays over winter or moves on, it’s time to draw a line in the sand and shift full focus on to the bigger talent of the two, Folarin Balogun.

Eddie Nketiah future decision means Arsenal can shift full attention to deserving Folarin Balogun and finding him a January loan move

He has more going for him at his age than Nketiah ever had, with his numbers for the Under-23’s (16 goals in 12 matches) being so frustratingly above the level of that age group. He’s waited too long for integration into the first team.

The quantity of care and love that Nketiah has received, which isn’t to say he hasn’t deserved it, can now be honed in on the 20-year-old. First, however, is getting him a club in January.

Half of Europe has their doors opened for him, with the Evening Standard among the numerous outlets reporting that Middlesbrough are pushing hard alongside ‘several’ Championship clubs and other sides abroad.

As beneficial as a move to mainland Europe can be, with it hoped that Balogun can be part of the regular Premier League squad next season it would benefit him to be involved in the English game so long as it is at a high level.

The physicality of the Championship would suit him, as would the Bundesliga so long as he can be assured regular minutes, but the gritty, relentless and aggressive second tier will do him the world of good.

Nketiah might be kept onboard in January just to compensate for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s AFCON involvement, but if an offer comes in for him then Arsenal can’t turn it down: Alexandre Lacazette and Gabriel Martinelli can hold the fort at centre-forward.

Making Balogun the main man moving forward after having the final nail hammered into the future of Nketiah means that giving ‘Flo’ all the love and attention he needs, including finding him the ideal loan club, is now the long-awaited priority.