With the final week of the summer transfer window approaching, transfer rumours are always flying around.
As clubs work against the clock to push through deals, FootballTransfers take an in-depth look at Folarin Balogun as he appears set to move away from his boyhood club Arsenal in the coming days.
The pitfalls of graduating from the youth academies of elite clubs are not spoken about enough.
Even exceptionally talented young players are often left with a dilemma - should they stay with the club without any guarantee of first team minutes, or should they go out on loan for regular playing time.
These years can leave players in a state of flux, and such was the case with Folarin Balogun. Despite impressive performances in the youth leagues, he was shipped off on loan over the past two seasons due to the lack of a clear pathway into the Arsenal first team.
But Balogun, who was born in New York to Nigerian parents and immigrated to England aged two, has always embraced change.
This paid off big time last season during his loan spell at Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims. The young forward was the joint fourth top scorer in the league with 21 goals, and even topped the chart ahead of Kylian Mbappe at certain stages.
His performances garnered the attention of top clubs across the continent and Arsenal were considering integrating him into their squad for the new season.
However, the club needs to balance the books after a big-spending summer, and it looks like Balogun will be on his way out.
Folarin Balogun Transfer Value - how much is he worth?
Folarin Balogun’s Expected Transfer Value (xTV) is currently €19.2 million. This value has more than doubled since the start of his prolific loan spell at Reims.
The 22-year-old is a full international with the US men’s national team, and is coming off a 20-goal season in a top-five league.
With Chelsea and Monaco reported to be interested, chances are that Arsenal can expect more than double that amount.
Folarin Balogun stats, strengths and weaknesses
Last season, Balogun thrived under manager Will Still’s counter-pressing and counter-attacking set-up. The system creates plenty of transitional moments where his teammates can put him through on goal.
With a non penalty xG per shot figure of 0.18, Balgoun then has the pace and positional intelligence to get on the end of those chances.
This also shows up when looking at his xG figure of 0.80 per 90, which was only bettered by Mbappe in Ligue 1 last season (amongst players who at least played 900 minutes).
The right-footed marksman also took 3.6 shots per 90, putting him amongst the top 10 forwards in division. Such a high shot volume in a young striker is always a good sign.
However, Balogun underperformed his xG, which means that his finishing is still something that can be improved upon.
The Arsenal youth product does not always rely on others creating chances for him. He is a solid carrier of the ball, and with 1.35 carries into the penalty area per 90, you will often see him create shooting opportunities for himself.
Balogun is a good presser but his defensive contribution does not show up in the numbers. This is a consequence of Reims pressing as a unit, leading to the off the ball work of some individuals going unnoticed in the data.
His passing numbers don’t stand out either, but that again is a consequence of the system he played in last season.
Over half his 29 touches per 90 came in the attacking third, which shows that he is isolated up top and does not often drop deeper to help in build-up. This leaves a question mark over his ability to play in a possession dominant team, and might be why Arsenal are happy to let him go.
We have already seen William Saliba take a huge step forward in his career after a successful loan in Ligue 1.
Balogun is at a stage where he needs to settle down, and he has shown enough ability and potential to make him an enticing buy for any team from the big leagues.
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