Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta urged to sell Folarin Balogun this summer

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been urged to sell Folarin Balogun this summer. Ex-Gunner Emmanuel Petit claims there is no pathway for the striker at the Emirates and says his old club should cash in.

Balogun is currently flying on loan at Ligue 1 side Reims. He is the top scorer in the French top flight with 15 goals to his name this season and has a slightly better minute-per-goal ratio than Kylian Mbappe.

The New York-born star came through the academy at Arsenal after moving to England as a young child. He was a prolific goalscorer through the youth ranks and has two goals in 10 first-team appearances.

But Petit believes the presence of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah will only get in Balogun’s way. Jesus only signed for Arsenal last summer, while Nketiah penned a new long-term contract at a similar time.

Arsenal: Folarin Balogun reacts to making his debut for the club

Petit reckons Arsenal should sell if they receive a large offer. He told Compare.bet: “Balogun, at the end of the season, I believe Arsenal will receive so many offers for him.

“Is it the right time to bring him back to the club, knowing that Nketiah has signed a new contract, and Jesus has just signed? He will be on the bench.

“He will only play a couple of games. That will be difficult for him. If they receive a very good offer for him, my answer is: sell him.”

Arteta didn’t comment on speculation over Balogun’s future when asked about the forward last week. But he admitted he is delighted to see him flourish.

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Arteta said: “I’m so happy for him. He’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave.

“We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and the other choices he had. He was so convinced. I’m really happy for him because he deserves what he’s getting.

“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special, that’s why we decided to give him a long-term contract and have faith in him and give him the long period that he needs now, because the loan he is having now is really different to the one he had before at Middlesbrough.”

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