Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun has made a big admission about his future, declaring he will not accept one type of transfer this summer.
Balogun graduated from the Arsenal academy in 2020. So far, he has made 10 first-team appearances for the Gunners, registering two goals and one assist in that time. The centre-forward was looking to pick up more senior experience at the start of last season and therefore opted to join French club Stade Reims on loan.
When Balogun headed to Ligue 1, few would have predicted how well he would end up doing. He bagged 22 goals in 39 games, with 21 of those strikes coming in the league.
Only Kylian Mbappe, Alexandre Lacazette and Jonathan David found the back of the net more times in Ligue 1 than Balogun last term. The Arsenal loanee finished ahead of big names including Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez and Neymar in the scoring charts.
Balogun, who recently decided to play for the USA over England at international level, will soon return to the Emirates.
However, it is unclear whether he will remain as part of Mikel Arteta's squad or head elsewhere in a permanent transfer.
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In a recent interview, Balogun revealed how he will not be going out on loan again next term.
"I'm not sure [about] the discussions that are going to take place," he said (via BBC Sport).
"I'm not sure what's going to happen. But I'm just committed to now; I try to stay present. I obviously want to enjoy the moment with my team and my family.
"What I can say is that I definitely won't go on loan again."
Balogun has forced Arteta and sporting director Edu into one of two decisions. Either they must play Balogun regularly next campaign or sell him.
Due to the 21-year-old's exceptional season, it is no surprise he is picking up plenty of interest. West Ham are big admirers of him, while Juventus are also keeping tabs on his situation. The Serie A giants might make a bid if current striker Dusan Vlahovic leaves.
It will be interesting to see how Arsenal play this one out. If they keep Balogun, then they will have to promise him a lot of game time to ensure his happiness.
The trouble is that it's hard to see Balogun becoming Arteta's new main centre-forward ahead of the more experienced Gabriel Jesus.
Instead, the rising star would have to rely on cup matches or Jesus picking up an injury to get playing time.
Alternatively, Arsenal may decide it is best to let Balogun go. But this represents a risk as he has the potential to become a deadly striker in European football.
If Arsenal were to sell the attacker, then it would make a lot of sense for them to include a buy-back clause in the deal.
Meanwhile, Edu is 'very close' to achieving Arsenal's first signing of the summer, according to one journalist.