Arsenal news: Thierry Henry and Ian Wright have Folarin Balogun hunch as future uncertain | Football | Sport

Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Ian Wright both feel that Folarin Balogun has what it takes to cut it in the Premier League. The 21-year-old is among the top scorers in Ligue 1 amid a sparkling loan spell with Reims, leaving many to wonder whether he would be willing to sit on the bench at the Emirates next season.

Balogun has been on Arsenal’s books since a young schoolboy, making his senior debut in 2020 and racking up 10 appearances since. He spent part of last campaign on loan at Middlesbrough, but his career has truly taken off since venturing to France.

With 18 goals in 29 league matches this term, he is only one behind Kylian Mbappe in the Ligue 1 scoring charts. However, the presence of fellow high-quality strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah at the Emirates may complicate Balogun’s route into the Arsenal first team.

Both Wright and Henry know a thing or two about what it takes to make the grade in north London, and the former believes that he will hit the ground running if given a shot by manager Mikel Arteta.

“Hopefully he can come back to Arsenal at some stage and prove himself,” he told Wrighty’s House back in March. “He’s gone to another level in confidence. I think anywhere he goes in aspect of leagues, he’ll do what he is doing [in France] with the right service.

“It’s the way he’s taking those chances. His head space is at a different place right now. He knows he can do it right now. I guarantee you if he comes back, he probably picks up from what he’s doing in that league.”

Balogun himself has addressed his future, and while the 21-year-old acknowledges that a return to the Gunners is inevitable this summer, he stopped short of convincing Arsenal fans that he will be there for the long haul.

“Contractually I have to go back because the loan was only for one year so that was always the agreement,” he said. “I’m not sure what is going to happen in the future. A lot could happen in football, a lot could change, and it just depends on the conversations we have between me and the club in the summer, and we’ll see what happens. Of course I have had a good year [at Reims] and to a lot of people it makes sense for me to come back here. So yeah, I mean, I don’t know what the future will bring.”