Balogun’s Arsenal future looks bleak as Gunners offer contract to rival forward

Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun looks to have one foot out of the door at the Emirates with the club already planning for life without the highly-rated striker.

The Gunners have offered a first professional contract to another star of their academy in Kido Taylor-Hart with Balogun set to leave in the summer.

Mikel Arteta was said to be keen on retaining the services of Balogun who has found the net seven times in 14 Premier League 2 appearances so far this campaign.

The 19-year-old has also featured for the first team in the Europa League earlier this season and even found the target twice in group stage wins over Molde and Dundalk respectively.

However, Balogun’s current deal with the club is set to expire at the end of the current season and despite the Arsenal boss suggesting “positive” talks between the two parties, an agreement appears to be no closer.

"I am pretty positive about it," claimed the Gunners boss in his press conference ahead of the trip to Burnley. "Every time I spoke to him he mentioned the same thing that he’s determined to stay here that he wants to stay here.

"We had some really positive conversations with his agent as well."

However, according to football.london , no deal is in place and Balogun has a number of offers from other clubs.

With the player’s future looking far from certain, the Gunners have turned their attention to another youngster in their ranks.

Taylor-Hart, 18, also sees his current scholarship deal expiring in the summer, but looks to have earned himself a new deal after impressing at youth level.

The winger has six goals and four assists in nine appearances in the under-18s Premier League and scored his second goal for the under-23s in the 2-2 draw at Southampton on Friday.

Taylor-Hart has also reportedly attracted interest from other English sides as well as from teams in Germany, Holland and Belgium.

Arsenal look set to lose three other under-23 players at the end of the season with Ben Sheaf, Arthur Okonkwo and Joseph Olowu all expected to leave when their contracts expire.

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