Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun says he is ‘staying focused’ on his spell at Reims rather than his future with the Gunners.
The 21-year-old is in fine form in Ligue 1 this campaign following his half-a-season loan with Championship Middlesbrough last campaign.
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The England Under-21s star joined current Premier League leaders Arsenal as an eight-year-old and signed his first professional contract in 2019, extending that deal in 2021 until June 2025.
But with just 10 Arsenal‘s first team appearances and two goals to his name, the pressure has started to crank up on the striker to kick on and prove to his parent club he can lead the Gunners’ line in the future.
However despite the background noise, Balogun has now revealed he’s only focused on ending the season on a high with Reims, rather than what’s going to happen back in north London.
“I haven’t thought that far if I’m honest,” Balogun told the Daily Mail when asked about his return to Arsenal in the summer and beyond.
“What I’ve been able to do so far, I’m sure it’s making a lot of noise – not just at Arsenal but everywhere. It’s just about continuing that, staying focused and helping the team.”
To say Balogun has sent shockwaves from across the channel would be an understatement – and not just because of his cryptic Instagram post after not getting an England call-up.
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The young striker currently has the second highest scoring record in Ligue 1 this season with a tally of 17 – the same number as ex-Gunners striker Alexandre Lacazette for Lyon and Wissam Ben Yedder of Monaco.
Only Lille’s Jonathan David and France and Paris Saint-Germain golden boy Kylian Mbappe have more, both sharing top spot on 19.
Most notably, Balogun’s tally has bettered Lionel Messi’s this season too, with the PSG star lagging behind on 13 league goals.
He’s also the youngest player to hit 17 goals in their debut season in France’s top flight since 1956.
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However despite his success, Balogun insists he’s not got his eyes glued to the scoring charts, but is focused on getting Reims, who have a chance of finishing in the European spots this season.
“Honestly, it doesn’t really do anything for me,” he admitted. “It would be very fickle to think: ‘Because I’ve got more goals than Messi or Neymar…’
“It doesn’t mean anything. Also, the season’s not finished.”
Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus’s injury at the World Cup revealed how thin Mikel Arteta’s squad was when it came to options up top, with Eddie Nketiah the only player available to step up to the plate.
But with Leandro Trossard now in the picture, too, it’s unclear what the future holds for Balogun.
