Arsenal Starlet Linked With Championship Loan Move – Report

Arsenal starlet Folarin Balogun is reportedly being eyed by Nottingham Forest…

Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun has been linked with a potential loan move to Championship side Nottingham Forest as they look to bolster their forward options in January, The Telegraph’s John Percy reports.

#nffc will prioritise the signing of a striker in January, likely to be a PL loan. Targets include #avfc Keinan Davis & #afc Folarin Balogun. #ncfc Adam Idah also discussed but unlikely at this stage. Forest also hopeful Djed Spence will stay, player v keen to complete the season

— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) December 13, 2021

Balogun has found first-team opportunities hard to come by since the first few weeks of the season, as the 20-year-old continues to display that he’s a level above U23 football.

The England U21 international was this week named PL2 Player of the Month for November after netting five times, marking him as the division’s all-time leading goalscorer with 35 strikers in 56 appearances.

Balogun signed a new four-year deal last summer after months of protracted talks and given his lack of involvement this season, it’s been decided by the club that a January loan move is the right course of action (via The Athletic).

The report claims that Balogun is one of two names featured high on Forest’s list of targets, though one would imagine that a loan deal would prove to be a smooth transaction considering’s Arsenal’s willingness.

While first-team football is vital at this stage for a special talent like Balogun, the club will be conscious of handing him over to the right club to aid his development.

Arsenal’s loan manager Ben Knapper and academy chief Per Mertesacker will certainly feature heavily in those decisions.

It will be interesting to see, should this potential move drag on, if Balogun is included in the FA Cup squad that will travel to the City Ground for the third-round tie next month after we were drawn against the former European Champions.