Folarin Balogun: I Hope This Rumour Is True
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
The latest rumour is that sporting director Ross Wilson is targeting a twin swoop for winger Antonio Nusa and striker Folarin Balogun.
On Balogun: I was surprised when Arsenal sold their then 22 year old youth product to Monaco in 2023 for £34M.
He was one of those players who had caught my eye in his first team appearances for Arsenal. Why? Because he reminded me of Alexander Isak.
Pace to burn, breaking through the lines, and clearly a natural finisher with an explosive shot. 18 goals in 34 games last season, and now the first USA player to score two in a game at the World Cup , Balogun has got a few PL clubs reportedly very interested.
Unlike Isak, Balogun is also very good in the air, and if like me you were fed up of seeing crosses from our wingers go unchallenged in the box last season, this lad wouldn't be shy in getting on the end of them.
But, Who Goes If We Sign A Striker?
In a recent Evening Chronicle survey 46% of fans voted our priority signing this summer to be a striker reflecting their doubts about Woltemade and Wissa.
Will Osula came on a ton at the end of last season and the confidence that will have given him and Eddie Howe surely means any thoughts of selling Will have gone.
If Osula keeps up his progress he could make a big impact in the new season.
That leaves Wolt and Wissa as the exit options, unless of course the rumour about signing another ST is media fantasy.
An outside possibility is that Eddie plays Osula out wide.
Will definitely has the pace to play there and he would be a goalscoring threat for sure. I think that is unlikely,but I wouldn't rule it out completely.
It would certainly give a totally different dynamic to our attack and if Elanga steps up this season there won't be another PL team who have more pace on the wings.
Either way...
I'd be more than happy if Balogun was signed.
Having him and Osula battle it out for the ST spot is exactly the type of competition that gets the best out of players.
And, with both having pace to burn, whoever has the shirt, Eddie doesn't need to change the playing system.
What do you think?
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No one is going to loan Wissa, in my opinion. If they do, it should include a buy option, which will never happen. I think the best bet is to just get rid of him and take the probable massive loss on him.
Definitely keep Osula
He's really developing, knows where the goal is, has a physical presence and has a rapport with the players and fans alike
Hitch him up with some of the new younger talent that we're talking about and feel the good vibrations.
I think a top keeper and a top striker is propably another 10 points on last seasons points total tbh .
I like osula , i think wolte has some quality and a good brain , but i dont there's enough up top to carry this team or nick a few wins out of nothing like isak and wilson a few years back did for us. Its not just the strikers though tbf. There's a lack of creativity in the final 3rd. We dont have a game changer up there . I dont think any of our strikers are a complete package and the same goes with our wingers tbh. They have certain strengths but as all rounders they…
As our fully fit starting eleven goes as it stands. Our biggest priority to improve it is a striker and the keeper unless jouen hits the ground running immediately.
The squad?
Has to be the FB positions , the LW cover .
I really don’t know much about Balogun but what I do know is we certainly need someone who knows the way to get the ball in the back of the net!