Phil SumblerThis morning’s transfer link sees us, Middlesbrough and Bournemouth all linked with a January move for Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun.
The link starts in the Sun (yes, we know!) who also claim that Middlesbrough – the Swans next opponents in the league – are at the front of the race to sign him on a loan deal.
The 72 adds to the story by writing “Balogun has risen up through the youth ranks of the London giants and has played nine times for their senior side so far in his career, scoring twice.
“However, the New York-born man has struggled for game time over recent times and won’t want to see his development stifle.”
Balogun has scored 14 goals already this season in Premier League 2,including a hat-trick this week in a 5-3 defeat against Barnsley which added weight to the view of England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley who believes that he has grown out of that level of football.
“He’s probably missed out on that little bit of senior football. You need testing. Watching him in the U23’s for Arsenal, it’s probably a little bit too easy for him and he’s passed that level,” Carsley claimed.
“I imagine he wants to play for Arsenal and pushing for a position but it’s such a big club with a lot of competition.
“I think it would be fair to say that a lot of the clubs in Europe would be aware of Flo’s qualities and if anything he has just got to keep proving it to himself.”
Balogun himself has admitted that he is ready for a new challenge and said “I have played youth football for a little while, I have obviously scored a lot of goals at that level and improved at that level drastically from when I started.
“I do feel like I am ready for a new challenge but I am not sure what that might be, it might be a loan or if I am needed at Arsenal then I am here and the gaffer knows that.
“I am definitely open to a new challenge but it is something that whatever that challenge is I will be ready.”
It is therefore believed that Arsenal will be prepared to let him leave on loan as they would prefer not to make a sale at this point but definitely see him gaining experience in a first team somewhere.
Given the current ‘issues’ that seem to surround both Michael Obafemi and Morgan Whittaker’s places in the first team squad a new striker seems a must in the January window and securing a player such at Balogun would be a massive coup for the Swans but with competition fierce it seems unlikely although not impossible.
Watch this space?
