he also shares an agent with Eddie... club a bit snookered here
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Dodero
Active Member
Ive heard about him, Jhon, but havent seen anything from him so far. Matteo, Tierny and Gabriel are part of our present, maybe not Matteo, thanks to Arteta. They already have their roles established and are used regularly.
Love love love this boy!
scytheavatar
Established Member
He still needs to compete with Martinelli and TJJ. And if we sell Laca I will be surprised if we don't sign a new striker.
Atm, Martinelli performs better out wide and TJJ hasn't had a look in at senior level. We may well sign a new striker but I doubt we're in for Haarland of a top talent. We'll go cheap and we'll need all hands on deck. He's not Anelka level yet but he's the most complete forward we've produced since Kevin Campbell!
Enough to keep you around when Özil leaves?
Such a flirt.
Bart Simpson is your type. Not surprised.
TakeChillPill
Established Member
I know great talent when I see it, this kid has IT. We need to keep him. If balogun is smart he'll sign and then have a real chance of getting that starting spot, because it's only Laca capable of playing there ATM.
scytheavatar
Established Member
TJJ has been rated higher than Balogun by most coaches throughout their career.......... in fact I will be surprised if TJJ doesn't make a splash next season.
I hope they both make it and I want to keep both here. I think Nelson and Willock were higher rated than Saka but look at them now.
REWB
Well-Known Member
Heard this guys agent wants 100k a week contract? That cant be true right? whos going to give him that? No senseable club will, especially not one like liverpool or madrid. We should give him 25k max. He hasnt done anything. Giving someone like him 100k would **** up our wage structure balance even more than it is. If he goes who cares? he's got potential but how much? to be world class? im not sure...I dont see the skill, i just see pace and power which isnt enough to be wc alone. He could end up WC but no guarantees so no need for us to risk 100k on him.
RunTheTrap
Kai Havertz Offense League
From the little that I have watched of Balogun I think he’s a fine prospect and could be a great striker. However, I don’t like how he or his agent think things should be given to him just because he’s Balogun. He seems very self-aware, and a bit arrogant, constantly posting pics of him in Arsenal gear to rile up fan response. I’m not turning against him because I still think he’s a great prospect but then think about the message this sends across to other youth players. He’s effectively trying to push out two players ahead of him with more experience based on hype from the fans. I’ve heard rumours he’s getting close to a 100k and he’ll be second choice striker. How much leverage is too much leverage? Fair enough he wants minutes and I like that but why has the option of a loan move never come up?
And FYI, strikers is probably the hardest position to properly gauge a talent. There are loads of striking phenoms who couldn’t make the jump to men’s football like JET, Chuba, Fortuna and then there was Macheda for United. Then you have strikers who were basically nobodies in their early 20’s and are genuine world class talents. Lewandowski, Kane, Diego Costa, Vardy, Drogba, and I think Ivan Toney of Brentford will be the next big striker when they get promoted. Take a look at his Wiki page and look at the clubs he’s played for. There’s no science to this or a genuine precursor to show what an elite striker could be. That’s why I laugh when people downplay Eddie, he could very well be a 20 goal a season striker and we’ve hounded him out of the club.
And FYI, strikers is probably the hardest position to properly gauge a talent. There are loads of striking phenoms who couldn’t make the jump to men’s football like JET, Chuba, Fortuna and then there was Macheda for United. Then you have strikers who were basically nobodies in their early 20’s and are genuine world class talents. Lewandowski, Kane, Diego Costa, Vardy, Drogba, and I think Ivan Toney of Brentford will be the next big striker when they get promoted. Take a look at his Wiki page and look at the clubs he’s played for. There’s no science to this or a genuine precursor to show what an elite striker could be. That’s why I laugh when people downplay Eddie, he could very well be a 20 goal a season striker and we’ve hounded him out of the club.
Wounded Healer
Active Member
we will regret choosing nketiah over him. he seems twice the player.
If a player won’t sign what else can you do?
Ibadan
Thread Bump Police
The departure of any promising young player is always a cause for introspection. As reported by The Athletic, 19-year-old Folarin Balogun looks to be on the verge of leaving Arsenal. As he has entered the last six months of his contract, he is free to negotiate with overseas clubs and is close to signing a pre-contract agreement with one of his suitors.
The possibility of losing Balogun has prompted a surprising amount of anger, given the striker has played just 74 minutes for Arsenal’s first team. According to Opta, Bukayo Saka has already amassed 4,428 competitive minutes for them, and is two months younger.
Why are Arsenal fans so disappointed?
The frustration is partly down to the revelation that Balogun’s likeliest destination is abroad. If he were to join another club in England at the end of his contract, Arsenal would receive a fee set by an independent tribunal. While most likely below his market value, this would be substantially greater than the FIFA training compensation fee Arsenal will get if Balogun joins a foreign club. They rejected a £5 million offer from Championship side Brentford a year ago and now stand to receive significantly less than that amount.
The money is not the primary issue here, however. Arsenal fans have been stung by previous instances of young players leaving the club then fulfilling their potential elsewhere. The stand-out name is Serge Gnabry, who was frustrated by a lack of first-team football at Arsenal before flourishing at Bayern Munich via Werder Bremen. There are other examples: Ismael Bennacer made just one senior appearance before joining Empoli and is now a regular starter for AC Milan. Jeff Reine-Adelaide joined French side Angers for a small fee; 12 months later, went to Ligue 1 heavyweights Lyon for €25 million. Since returning to his native Holland with PSV Eindhoven, Donyell Malen has developed into a prized international striker.
Clearly, this pattern is a concern. Arsenal are not a club blessed with limitless resources — on Thursday, they also revealed they were to receive a £120 million Bank of England loan to ease the effect of COVID-19 — and it’s important they capitalise on their academy’s pedigree. The handling of Matteo Guendouzi and William Saliba, albeit in very different circumstances, suggests Arsenal could do more to prioritise the development of their young talent.
Is it Mikel Arteta’s fault?
Well, it is tempting to lay the blame for the Balogun situation at the door of manager Arteta. One of Balogun’s complaints has been a lack of playing time. Perhaps Arteta could have done more to include him beyond the five substitute appearances he’s made in 2020-21. However, rewarding demands for game-time from players in precarious contract situations is a dangerous game and one that sets a precedent. Arteta is entitled to ask why the club should commit to Balogun when he has not yet committed to them.
This is ultimately an issue Arteta inherited. Initial negotiations over Balogun’s contract were led by Huss Fahmy, who left the club towards the end of last year. Fahmy’s tendency was to offer academy players heavily-incentivised contracts that came with lower guarantees — an approach that did not sit well with some agents. The baton was then picked up by Edu. Despite the technical director’s more genial negotiation style, the substance of his most recent offer was not substantially different enough to satisfy Balogun’s camp.
Arteta’s Arsenal have made room for youngsters, with Saka being the foremost example. He’s not alone, either: the catalyst for Arsenal’s recent turnaround in form has been the introduction of two more young talents, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli. Towards the fringes of the squad, academy products Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah compete for game time. In his most recent press conference, Arteta appeared to suggest the agent was at fault in this case — but Elite Project Group has previously successfully negotiated contracts with Arsenal for the likes of Nelson, Nketiah and Alex Iwobi.
At 19, Balogun is no sure thing. An outstanding academy record does not always translate to success in elite competition — just ask Arsenal old boys Benik Afobe (now playing for Trabzonspor, on loan from Stoke City) or Chuba Akpom (now with Middlesbrough). In 2003, Arsenal signed a promising young Italian striker by the name of Arturo Lupoli. In his last season with Parma’ Under-17s, Lupoli scored 45 goals in just 22 games. He continued that form for Arsenal’s reserves, scoring 27 times in 32 appearances. On his home debut for the senior team, he bagged a brace against Everton. His path to stardom seemed assured.
In the end, he has had a journeyman career including spells at Ascoli, Grosseto, Budapest Honved and Virtus Verona. For every Gnabry, there is a Lupoli. Consider what Jack Wilshere might have been.
What does this mean for Nketiah?
Balogun’s situation has been complicated by the presence of Nketiah — another academy product, two years older, also represented by Elite Project Group. Effectively, they have been competing for the same spot. Making Balogun feel wanted is arguably all the more difficult when it’s already evident what assurances and salary have been apportioned for Nketiah.
Recent comparisons with Balogun have been a little unkind to Nketiah. The 21-year-old has scored five goals from his 11 starts this season, as well as becoming England Under-21s’ all-time record goalscorer, overtaking Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers. Some feel Arsenal ought to have seen enough by now; others will point to the late development of the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Ian Wright. At 21, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was coming to the end of a disappointing loan spell at Monaco in which he scored twice in 19 league games. Just as Balogun’s fate is no certainty, nor is Nketiah’s.
With 18 months to go on his own contract, Arsenal will soon face a decision over Nketiah’s future. Either scenario could prove prosperous: sell now and receive a good fee for an exciting prospect, or extend the deal and retain an asset whose value is unlikely to substantially diminish in the next two years. What’s certain is that Arsenal can’t buy a better third-choice striker for less than what the development of Nketiah has cost them. If academy players never develop beyond squad players, they’ve still provided a cheap solution to a need.
With some players, such as Saka, their destiny feels more tangible. Saka shares the same agents as Balogun and Nketiah, but Arsenal made their commitment to him substantially more apparent — he was rewarded with significant playing time, a hefty contract, even a first XI squad number. That was a deal Arsenal prioritised, and a deal they got done.
In a world with no sure bets, Arsenal clearly considered Saka to be as close as they come. Balogun, for whatever reason, has not quite met that criteria. Only time will tell whether the club come to regret that decision.
The possibility of losing Balogun has prompted a surprising amount of anger, given the striker has played just 74 minutes for Arsenal’s first team. According to Opta, Bukayo Saka has already amassed 4,428 competitive minutes for them, and is two months younger.
Why are Arsenal fans so disappointed?
The frustration is partly down to the revelation that Balogun’s likeliest destination is abroad. If he were to join another club in England at the end of his contract, Arsenal would receive a fee set by an independent tribunal. While most likely below his market value, this would be substantially greater than the FIFA training compensation fee Arsenal will get if Balogun joins a foreign club. They rejected a £5 million offer from Championship side Brentford a year ago and now stand to receive significantly less than that amount.
The money is not the primary issue here, however. Arsenal fans have been stung by previous instances of young players leaving the club then fulfilling their potential elsewhere. The stand-out name is Serge Gnabry, who was frustrated by a lack of first-team football at Arsenal before flourishing at Bayern Munich via Werder Bremen. There are other examples: Ismael Bennacer made just one senior appearance before joining Empoli and is now a regular starter for AC Milan. Jeff Reine-Adelaide joined French side Angers for a small fee; 12 months later, went to Ligue 1 heavyweights Lyon for €25 million. Since returning to his native Holland with PSV Eindhoven, Donyell Malen has developed into a prized international striker.
Clearly, this pattern is a concern. Arsenal are not a club blessed with limitless resources — on Thursday, they also revealed they were to receive a £120 million Bank of England loan to ease the effect of COVID-19 — and it’s important they capitalise on their academy’s pedigree. The handling of Matteo Guendouzi and William Saliba, albeit in very different circumstances, suggests Arsenal could do more to prioritise the development of their young talent.
Is it Mikel Arteta’s fault?
Well, it is tempting to lay the blame for the Balogun situation at the door of manager Arteta. One of Balogun’s complaints has been a lack of playing time. Perhaps Arteta could have done more to include him beyond the five substitute appearances he’s made in 2020-21. However, rewarding demands for game-time from players in precarious contract situations is a dangerous game and one that sets a precedent. Arteta is entitled to ask why the club should commit to Balogun when he has not yet committed to them.
This is ultimately an issue Arteta inherited. Initial negotiations over Balogun’s contract were led by Huss Fahmy, who left the club towards the end of last year. Fahmy’s tendency was to offer academy players heavily-incentivised contracts that came with lower guarantees — an approach that did not sit well with some agents. The baton was then picked up by Edu. Despite the technical director’s more genial negotiation style, the substance of his most recent offer was not substantially different enough to satisfy Balogun’s camp.
Arteta’s Arsenal have made room for youngsters, with Saka being the foremost example. He’s not alone, either: the catalyst for Arsenal’s recent turnaround in form has been the introduction of two more young talents, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli. Towards the fringes of the squad, academy products Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah compete for game time. In his most recent press conference, Arteta appeared to suggest the agent was at fault in this case — but Elite Project Group has previously successfully negotiated contracts with Arsenal for the likes of Nelson, Nketiah and Alex Iwobi.
At 19, Balogun is no sure thing. An outstanding academy record does not always translate to success in elite competition — just ask Arsenal old boys Benik Afobe (now playing for Trabzonspor, on loan from Stoke City) or Chuba Akpom (now with Middlesbrough). In 2003, Arsenal signed a promising young Italian striker by the name of Arturo Lupoli. In his last season with Parma’ Under-17s, Lupoli scored 45 goals in just 22 games. He continued that form for Arsenal’s reserves, scoring 27 times in 32 appearances. On his home debut for the senior team, he bagged a brace against Everton. His path to stardom seemed assured.
In the end, he has had a journeyman career including spells at Ascoli, Grosseto, Budapest Honved and Virtus Verona. For every Gnabry, there is a Lupoli. Consider what Jack Wilshere might have been.
What does this mean for Nketiah?
Balogun’s situation has been complicated by the presence of Nketiah — another academy product, two years older, also represented by Elite Project Group. Effectively, they have been competing for the same spot. Making Balogun feel wanted is arguably all the more difficult when it’s already evident what assurances and salary have been apportioned for Nketiah.
Recent comparisons with Balogun have been a little unkind to Nketiah. The 21-year-old has scored five goals from his 11 starts this season, as well as becoming England Under-21s’ all-time record goalscorer, overtaking Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers. Some feel Arsenal ought to have seen enough by now; others will point to the late development of the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Ian Wright. At 21, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was coming to the end of a disappointing loan spell at Monaco in which he scored twice in 19 league games. Just as Balogun’s fate is no certainty, nor is Nketiah’s.
With 18 months to go on his own contract, Arsenal will soon face a decision over Nketiah’s future. Either scenario could prove prosperous: sell now and receive a good fee for an exciting prospect, or extend the deal and retain an asset whose value is unlikely to substantially diminish in the next two years. What’s certain is that Arsenal can’t buy a better third-choice striker for less than what the development of Nketiah has cost them. If academy players never develop beyond squad players, they’ve still provided a cheap solution to a need.
With some players, such as Saka, their destiny feels more tangible. Saka shares the same agents as Balogun and Nketiah, but Arsenal made their commitment to him substantially more apparent — he was rewarded with significant playing time, a hefty contract, even a first XI squad number. That was a deal Arsenal prioritised, and a deal they got done.
In a world with no sure bets, Arsenal clearly considered Saka to be as close as they come. Balogun, for whatever reason, has not quite met that criteria. Only time will tell whether the club come to regret that decision.
You already know @Macho is thrashing around his sheets, furious I posted this before he did.
Country: England
Country: England
Athletic shilling again.
Saka is a golden boy nominee, Martinelli might as well be one and ESR had to wait for numerous injuries.
Glad to see some perspective on Nketiah in this piece. Think the blowback on him has been unfair.
Balogun's situation was always going to be a difficult one to handle and I hope it's resolved soon.
