Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun has been urged to make the step up next season after his outstanding form on loan with Ligue 1 side Reims.
Writing in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, French football expert Jonathan Johnson made it clear that he felt Marseille could be a good move for Balogun as they show an interest in another potential deal with Arsenal.
The Ligue 1 giants have Nuno Tavares on loan from the Gunners this season, while William Saliba was also a big success in his time with the club last season.
Arsenal have a decision to make on Balogun next season, and Johnson believes another loan move, but one which gives him the chance to play in Europe, could be the ideal next step for him.
“Balogun will feel that, given his performances this season, he deserves to have a go as a starting striker somewhere, but it’s also difficult to justify starting him ahead of the other quality players they have in that position at Arsenal,” Johnson writes, in his column to be published in full tomorrow morning.
“So another loan move and European experience could be good for him, with that not an option for him if he stays at Reims, which now seems to be being ruled out anyway. Arteta might want to take a look at Balogun in pre-season to see what kind of level he’s at, but it then gives them the opportunity to loan him to another club later in the summer.
“It’s also worth noting that Balogun has spoken positively about Marseille as a club, the atmosphere at the Stade Velodrome, so it looks like it’s a place he can imagine himself playing, and it looks like he’s open to staying in France after doing so well there this season.
“But, with respect to Reims and what they’ve achieved under Will Still, I think it’s time for Balogun to try stepping up a level and challenging himself in European football, which he could do at Marseille.”
It will certainly be interesting to see what Arsenal decide to do with the talented England Under-21 international this summer, as he clearly needs to be playing regularly at a high level, but might find it hard to break into Mikel Arteta’s attack given the competition at the Emirates Stadium.
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