Arsenal must arrange new loan deal with striker

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Arsenal will enter July this year with only one recognised striker on their books.

Mikel Arteta has entrusted Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette will spearheading the Arsenal attack for the remainder of the current campaign, having allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to leave the club without bringing in a replacement.

That decision over the January transfer window not to sign another centre-forward was a surprising call given that Nketiah and Lacazette haven’t been prolific in the Premier League, as well as the pair both seeing their current contracts expire at the end of June.

Should Arsenal reach the promised land of the Champions League come the end of the season they will find themselves in an excellent position to acquire the elite striker the team sorely needs, although the squad does has an opening for two such players to arrive.

Arsenal have a simple loan decision to make with Folarin Balogun as striker needs a full season of Championship football in 2022/23

There is also Folarin Balogun to consider, as well.

Sent out on loan to Middlesbrough in the winter window – a move that came about six months late – the 20-year-old is finally getting a regular taste of first team action at a level much higher than Under-23 football.

Balogun has impressed in patches across his ten matches for the club, making four starts in all competitions, but is yet to find the back of the net despite registering two assists. His latest outing came as Boro dumped Tottenham out of the FA Cup, a game which included another sparkling moment from the Hale End graduate as he bamboozled Cristian Romero with a divine piece of skill.

Under Chris Wilder, a manager who has held a long-standing admiration for Balogun, he continues to develop his game. However, despite some believing his performances are setting him up for next season where he can act as Arteta’s second choice option, he’s still got a long way to go. Securing him another loan, this time for a full season, has to be on the agenda.

There is obvious talent there, he has just spent too long playing in a youth level. Harnessing his ability on the ball with the tactical understanding of the game will require further coaching. Much like Reiss Nelson got to dabble in a full season of senior football too late, the same mistakes can’t be made with Balogun.

What may work in the Under-23’s doesn’t transfer a fluidly at a higher level. Balogun needs to keep working on his physicality, and finding a way to stay involved in matches from a central position. While his dribbling in wide areas is dynamic and natural, his movement elsewhere needs fine-tuning: cutting off passing lanes, which runs to make and the timing of his penalty box entrances.

This is someone who wants to be on the ball at all times and everything about his game is asking for another season in the Championship. That might be with Middlesbrough again, but there are other options in the division with managers who can nurture young talent to choose from.

Still only 20 years old, his case is a clear example of where coaching comes into play. Ironically you’d like Mikel Arteta to be in charge of that, but the minutes won’t be available at Arsenal in the Premier League.

Securing him his first full campaign of first team football is the easy decision to make next season.