Folarin Balogun: I Hope I’ve Given Mikel Arteta A Selection Headache

Folarin Balogun hoping to give Mikel Arteta more to think about…

Arsenal starlet Folarin Balogun stated that he hopes to continue to give Mikel Arteta a selection headache after scoring his first goal for the senior side in Thursday’s Europa League win at Molde, he told Arsenal Player.

Balogun found the back of the net seconds after being introduced in place of Eddie Nketiah, adding to his growing reputation as one of the most exciting prospects in the country.

The 19-year-old scored 28 goals in 28 appearances for the development squads last season, and his expiring contract has given fans a sense of anxiety in recent months.

It seemed that his Arsenal days were numbered during the summer after the club received an offer from Sheffield United. However, the deal never materialised and Balogun remained an Arsenal player, though his involvement with the first-team still looked like an unlikely outcome.

That has changed in recent weeks with Balogun being included and introduced in our last few Europa League games, and it took him a few touches before he found the back of the net in Norway.

“My job is just to always give the manager a question mark,” Balogun told the club’s official website.

“So I feel like from today I was able to do that and I feel like hopefully, I can get an opportunity to carry on doing that.”

Arteta confirmed this week that talks have resumed with Balogun’s representatives about a new deal (via The Evening Standard) and one would imagine the nature of those talks have played a part in his sudden involvement in recent weeks.

Given Arteta’s track record of convincing players to remain at the club, whether they’re academy graduates or talismanic figures, Balogun extending his contracts looks like a realistic outcome.

Considering his talent and education at the club, it would be a shame if we couldn’t see him blossom at the Emirates.