Folarin Balogun: Balo d'Or

[Rasmi]

I think the Saliba loan(s) can serve as a great example to youngsters like Balogun. Not commenting on whether it was part of a master plan, but by hook or by crook we’ve established a precedent where we allow youngsters extensive time on loan to fully develop and then slot straight into our first team. He doesn’t need to come back now and fight.

Yes but come summer time he will have 2 years on his deal. If you his agent why would you tell him extend and see what happens? The logical step is to see what happens in the summer and then extend

It’s up to the club. Either they rate him high enough to give him playing time and based on that he sign new deal. Or he gets sold. I don’t see him just signing new deal and see what happens

 

[db10_therza]

Yes but come summer time he will have 2 years on his deal. If you his agent why would you tell him extend and see what happens? The logical step is to see what happens in the summer and then extend

It’s up to the club. Either they rate him high enough to give him playing time and based on that he sign new deal. Or he gets sold. I don’t see him just signing new deal and see what happens

Extend him with a decent payrise to reflect his great performance on loan and make him feel warm and fuzzy inside. Remember if all he cares about is regular football with mid tier 1st team wages, that’s not exactly sth we’ll struggle to afford, especially when the fees will/should be covered by his loan anyways.

 

[North5]

The club would be mad not to give Flo a proper chance in the 1st team. The striker market is threadbare and we potentially have a top talent coming from our academy.

Exactly. The striker market has been in steep decline the past decade. You DON'T get rid of this kid

 

[drippin]

Exactly. The striker market has been in steep decline the past decade. You DON'T get rid of this kid

Imagine if Jesus has been planned for Nketiah and Balogun to take the striker role, and Jesus being a player who plays the most throughout the attacking line. If Jesus agreed to it from the start, and didn't join to be 100% only a striker in the future.

Then Arsenal has saved 100+ million in two own youth HG strikers. Plus 50+ million by not needing to get a dribbling fast great 1vs1 winger (Jesus was cheap), because Jesus can be that as a winger. If he is happy to do that at a title challenging Arsenal, as long as he gets more game-time than at City. Which he will because he is one of our best players who is versatile.

 

[Rasmi]

Imagine if Jesus has been planned for Nketiah and Balogun to take the striker role, and Jesus being a player who plays the most throughout the attacking line. If Jesus agreed to it from the start, and didn't join to be 100% only a striker in the future.

Then Arsenal has saved 100+ million in two own youth HG strikers. Plus 50+ million by not needing to get a dribbling fast great 1vs1 winger (Jesus was cheap), because Jesus can be that as a winger. If he is happy to do that at a title challenging Arsenal, as long as he gets more game-time than at City. Which he will because he is one of our best players who is versatile.

Jesus is better striker than nketiah and Balogun and using him on the wing defending is waste of his talent

 

[Gooner Zig]

I agree but I'd try loan him to a better team, one that dominates possession a bit more perhaps? He's doing well enough that a PL loan where he actually gets game time could be possible.

A potential difficulty that might arise is if Balogun's agent pushes the club for more 1st team action - Balogun has leverage now and surely would have decent sized clubs sniffing around. We might be "forced" (not a bad thing) to integrate him into the first team next season to keep him at the club.

 

[El Duderino]

Wouldn't be against selling him with a buy back after two seasons like what Madrid does, tbh. Would be a two season loan and if he goes to a Marseille type club, they wouldn't really mind if he continues his trajectory.

Tough position to be in, but just doesn't seem like there's room in the squad for him to get the minutes he needs and, most importantly, deserves right now.

Sometimes you have to sell good players, guys. This might be one of those.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Wouldn't be against selling him with a buy back after two seasons like what Madrid does, tbh. Would be a two season loan and if he goes to a Marseille type club, they wouldn't really mind if he continues his trajectory.

Tough position to be in, but just doesn't seem like there's room in the squad for him to get the minutes he needs and, most importantly, deserves right now.

Sometimes you have to sell good players, guys. This might be one of those.

IF this was a player in pretty much any other position I would agree. It's just that there are **** all decent strikers around. We'll be in four major comps next year, surely there'll be enough minutes to go around.

 

[El Duderino]

IF this was a player in pretty much any other position I would agree. It's just that there are **** all decent strikers around. We'll be in four major comps next year, surely there'll be enough minutes to go around.

I mean, my whole hypotetical scenario is predicated on having a deal with a decent buy back for both clubs. It's just that he needs game time.

We can't have him competing for places here as things stands, because that would most certainly stunt his development.

Sometimes knowing you'll be at the same club for a longer time is needed to bring stability to the player. I wouldn't remove him from the French league if we were to loan him again, for instance.

 

[Trilly]

A potential difficulty that might arise is if Balogun's agent pushes the club for more 1st team action - Balogun has leverage now and surely would have decent sized clubs sniffing around. We might be "forced" (not a bad thing) to integrate him into the first team next season to keep him at the club.

It's a good problem to have but boy is it a headache.

One of the reasons I wasn't super happy with Eddie's renewal was because I wanted a clear path for Balogun who to me just looked like he had a higher ceiling even from his academy clips. But 3rd top scorer in the top 5 leagues is INSANE.

Eddie is doing well in a tougher league but I don't think the weak league argument holds weight. It's not like Flo has 16 goals and Messi/Mbappe have 25. He's literally outperforming them...

Genuine striker prospects coming through an academy happen like once a generation. I'd rather sell Eddie than sell Flo without giving him a chance. It's going to be tough but we need to find a way to delay the keep/sell decision another year.

 

[BrianSwan]

How about a part exchange for Caicedo in summer?

 

[field442]

IF this was a player in pretty much any other position I would agree. It's just that there are **** all decent strikers around. We'll be in four major comps next year, surely there'll be enough minutes to go around.

There'll be less minutes to go around. Teams don't rotate heavily in the Champions League because they're not playing bums from farmers leagues. If there's a dead rubber on match day 6 you might rest players but other than that it will mostly be the same 11 playing every game. So basically he'll get a few starts in the Carabao and maybe the FA cup (by the time that gets going he'll probably be begging to be loaned out again).

 

[drippin]

There'll be less minutes to go around. Teams don't rotate heavily in the Champions League because they're not playing bums from farmers leagues. If there's a dead rubber on match day 6 you might rest players but other than that it will mostly be the same 11 playing every game. So basically he'll get a few starts in the Carabao and maybe the FA cup (by the time that gets going he'll probably be begging to be loaned out again).

I said it above, but what if Jesus is fine with playing also on the wings? Nketiah has played on the wings also with Jesus as striker.

Nketiah and Balogun as strikers in an UCL season. No need to buy a winger for 100+ million. Or maybe you play Jesus as a striker in UCL or something.

You can likely really get Rice & Caicedo next summer if you are able to do this. Balogun firing it up enables huge things no matter what.

 

[field442]

I said it above, but what if Jesus is fine with playing also on the wings? Nketiah has played on the wings also with Jesus as striker.

Nketiah and Balogun as strikers in an UCL season. No need to buy a winger for 100+ million. Or maybe you play Jesus as a striker in UCL or something.

You can likely really get Rice & Caicedo next summer if you are able to do this. Balogun firing it up enables huge things no matter what.

I've already said that if you make Jesus the no 1 LW and a Saka backup then you can integrate Balogun without a problem. I don't know if Arteta would see it that way. I suppose we will know once he's fit because he'll have a similar decision to make with Nketiah.

 

[Rasmi]

I said it above, but what if Jesus is fine with playing also on the wings? Nketiah has played on the wings also with Jesus as striker.

Nketiah and Balogun as strikers in an UCL season. No need to buy a winger for 100+ million. Or maybe you play Jesus as a striker in UCL or something.

You can likely really get Rice & Caicedo next summer if you are able to do this. Balogun firing it up enables huge things no matter what.

The squad you talking about is huge. Arteta don’t want that many players and rotate constantly

Jorginho, Xhaka, Partey, Rice and Caicedo is way too much.

Then you have Ødegaard, Vieira, trossard, Martinelli, esr, saka, Jesus, nketiah and Balogun

That’s 14 very good players who would play for most teams in the PL.

 

[drippin]

I've already said that if you make Jesus the no 1 LW and a Saka backup then you can integrate Balogun without a problem. I don't know if Arteta would see it that way. I suppose we will know once he's fit because he'll have a similar decision to make with Nketiah.

Looking at how much Arteta appreciates Hale Enders, I really don't doubt much that he has plans for Balogun.

Arteta is a midfielder, and he knows the importance of midfield in games. Surely he would rather give chance to own youth and get two top midfielders, rather than buy an overpriced winger (unless there is some great deal around).

But much of it depends on Jesus and what he wants. Basically he should be happy to any role, but I assume was promised some things when he agreed to join. So we'll see.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

Lacazette is being played to his strengths at Lyon. He wasn't here.

Sadly, we didn't have the foresight to place donut carts, complete with neon signs, moving back & forth behind opposite goals

 

[grange]

Selling him assumes Edu is going to be able to close a deal which generates profit for us which he has shown he's incapable of doing to date.

 

[DuBB]

People keep mentioning "buy black" clauses without understanding that most good buy back clauses are predicated on selling the player to a club for below their market value.

Let's say Flo is worth... £35-40m, straight up. No club in their right mind would pay that much for a player and accept a buy back clause for less than £55-60m. If not more. If they can afford the 35-40, why would they only accept 10-15m in profit if he turns out to be good?

Imagine the meltdown on here if we sold Balogun for £35m only to buy him back in 24 months for £60m? 😂

The only way you get a "fair" buy back clause is if you sell the player for under market value, which would be stupid to do for a striker on pace to scoring 20-25 Ligue 1 goals.

Once again, imagine the meltdown on here if we instead sold Balogun for £15-20m after a 25 goal/assist season, with a £35-40m buy back clause predicated on him hopefully setting the world alight and us buying a world class striker back for £40m. There'd be a meltdown at the initial fee, and a mini meltdown for every game he doesn't score and we didn't extract the maximum value at his peak.

Which is why most bigger clubs prefer doing the right to match or right of 1st refusal deals instead of solid buy back clauses. That way you get the full value for the player, but also are first in line if they explode.

This isn't a post advocating or refuting the concept of selling him, I'm just adding some context for those who keep mentioning buy back clauses as if they're easy to do or are typical, when they really aren't.

 

[Vinci]

New deal plus PL loan would be ideal for next season.

He is an impressive player, when compared to Eddie he is obviously still more raw, but he is more powerful and overall a more complete player I think.

Would love it if we can find a way to keep both him and Eddie in the future. Shouldn't just sell talents, never mind players from the academy.