Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained why it was necessary for Folarin Balogun to be loaned out in the January transfer window despite uncertainty surrounding the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
In truth, the Spanish football tactician was playing with fire by allowing the Gabonese star depart the Emirates Stadium on transfer deadline day last month without signing a replacement as the Gunners are now short in attack with just Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah the only recognized out-and-out first team strikers available at his disposal.
Balogun, who completed a loan move to Middlesbrough on January 12, was angling for a temporary exit due to a lack of first team opportunities despite being officially promoted to the senior squad before the season started.
Prior to joining Boro, the Anglo-American-Nigerian center forward played for the Gunners development squad to maintain his match fitness but youth football has become too easy for him these days.
On whether he would have let Balogun go out on loan if he'd known Aubameyang would be leaving, Arteta was quoted as saying by Arsenal's official website : "Well, again and with Flo especially and the amount of minutes that he played here, and the level that he shows when we could only play with the under 23s, it’s not fair.
"We want to develop that player, to maximise his potential - which is huge. We have to try to expose the player as quickly as possible to the level that he needs to be exposed.
"I was really confident that for him it was the right option, and he was convinced. So when that happens we have to let the player go, and evolve."
Less than a month after arriving at the Riverside Stadium, Balogun has totaled 138 minutes , more than he managed in the first half of the season at Arsenal.
Igho Kingsley
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