The imminent completion of Folarin Balogun’s transfer from Arsenal to AS Monaco is upsetting some Gooners. The striker appeared ready for another chance to display his abilities in Mikel Arteta’s first team following a strong loan stint at Reims last season.
Contrary to these predictions, the talented USMNT star is about to make a comeback to France, where he excelled during the previous season. Due to Arteta’s continued skepticism about his suitability for the team, the club has made this decision.
But not all supporters hold the same opinion. According to a report in The Sun, a certain group of supporters is outraged that the team decided to permit Balogun to leave, especially since they didn’t give him the opportunity to demonstrate his potential.
Arsenal opinion.
We must respect Arteta’s opinion because performing well in France differs from doing so in the Premier League.
We trust the gaffer to show that his selection of Balogun was the right one at the conclusion of this campaign because he has established himself as a very capable manager who makes the best decisions.
We wish the striker the best of luck in France and are hopeful that he will return to the market to help us cash in on his sell-on clause.
Related, also read…
Jesus returns, Balogun and Tierney Goes.
When negotiations are over, it will be interesting to see what the final sum is. I assume it’s a little bit more than that because there was talk of a €40 million bid that was turned down. I’m confident that everything will work out in the end, regardless of the clauses that are included. Getting, say, €45 million for an Academy graduate who could have recently left on a free transfer is pretty good business. I know we all have our gripes about how we sell, but I understand.
Given how well he performed for Reims the previous season, the player appears to benefit from the move as well. Even though it seems inevitable that he’ll eventually end up back in England, I have to admit that I’m glad he hasn’t joined another Premier League club. I recognize that this is just the egotistical viewpoint of a fan, but that’s okay. He is familiar with Ligue 1, has demonstrated his ability to score there, and living in the south of France is not a bad idea, is it?
Kieran Tierney, who is rumored to be joining Real Sociedad on loan, has me feeling a little envious of nice places to live this morning. San Sebastian is one of the most amazing cities in the world; it is a stunning location with delectable cuisine, and the team plays at a stylish new stadium on the outskirts of the city. Additionally, it’s not all sunshine in Spain; they also experience rain, which will help him feel more at home.
I am aware of his struggles with homesickness while playing for Arsenal, but I hope they won’t continue if he moves to Spain. It’s not a step down in terms of La Real’s own career because he will also play in the Champions League the following season. And who knows, if our paths crossed at some point during this tournament, it would be just the kind of strange coincidence that football offers up.
The lack of greater interest in Tierney from other Premier League clubs surprises me a little. Newcastle was mentioned, and there were a few – but insignificant – rumors about West Ham, but otherwise not much. This is a guy who played 36 times for us last season, despite the fact that I am aware of how poorly he has been received at Arsenal. Although his minutes decreased, his profile remained fairly high. I’m not sure how to interpret this lack of interest. It’s hard to tell if this reflects poorly on the player, other clubs, the market, or some combination of all three. I think we would have preferred to sell the player, so a loan isn’t the best option, but what can you do if no one is interested in purchasing a player of his caliber? I suppose you can ask why no one is interested in purchasing a player of his stature, but as I said, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact source of the problem.
Gabriel Jesus, who was sidelined following minor knee surgery, has resumed training, which is good news for those who are interested in staying fit. We’ll have to wait and see if he makes the squad for tomorrow’s match against Fulham, but judging by the pictures of the training session, it appears that he participated fully.
When Mikel Arteta meets with the media later this afternoon, who knows?
We might even learn a little more. You are aware of how honest he is about that sort of thing.
Tim on Eddie is available for additional reading this morning.
Let’s end this conversation there for now. As you may have noticed, there isn’t currently an Arsecast; however, there won’t be one in the near future. We’ll be recording an additional Arsecast Extra for you at around 9am instead.
Watch for the hashtag “arsecastextra” and the call for questions from @gunnerblog and @arseblog on Twitter. If you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, you can also ask a question in the arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Happy living for the time being.
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