Folarin Balogun ready to walk straight into Arsenal starting XI after source’s reveal – pundit
Alan Hutton has insisted Folarin Balogun will have plenty of suitors “waiting to take him” when he returns to Arsenal at the end of the season.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Tottenham and Aston Villa defender said Balogun has done exactly what he set out to do when he went on loan to Reims.
The 21-year-old has been impressing in the French top flight this season and is set to return to the Emirates in the summer, where his contract runs until 2025.
On 16 April, Football Insider revealed that Everton have joined the race to sign the striker at the end of the season and are prepared to rivel Brentford, Wolves and Crystal Palace for his signature.
Last week (14 April), sources told this site that Balogun is not willing to play for the Gunners next season unless given guarantees of game time by Mikel Arteta.
When asked if Balogun will want to try and break into the Arsenal team before contemplating a move, Hutton told Football Insider: “Absolutely.
“This is what it is all about going out on loan when you are young, to go and improve and that is exactly what he has done.
“Now everybody is sitting up and taking notice of what he has done, so that is a box ticked and is exactly what he wanted.
“He will come back for pre-season and that is his opportunity, can he go and break into the Arsenal first team? Can he show Arteta that he is capable of leading the line come the first games of the season?
“He will have that opportunity it is whether he can grasp it. If not, you have got all those suitors waiting to take him. So he is in a really strong position at this moment in time.“
In other news, Arsenal are finalising business move five years in the making.