Arsenal-reared striker Benik Afobe has urged Folarin Balogun to leave the Emirates Stadium outfit as he is behind at least three players in Mikel Arteta's pecking order of attackers.
The American-born Nigerian wonderkid is in the final four months of his contract with the north London club and it is believed talks on a new deal have stalled.
Monday, February 22 will make it two months the last time Balogun played for Arsenal's first team and that was against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup even though he has impressed when called upon to the first team with a goal involvement of three in sixty-one minutes of Europa League action.
Afobe reckons that Balogun is in the same boat as himself during his time at Arsenal as he was not given an opportunity to make his Premier League debut before moving on to pastures new in 2015.
"It all depends on your positioning and who’s ahead of you… Balogun, he’s good, I’ve seen him play," Afobe told The Beautiful Game Podcast.
"I think it’s the right decision for him to leave. ‘The captain [Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang] is a number nine, the other number nine is top goalscorer this season, Lacazette, and Eddie Nketiah is a couple of years older than him and has also done well.
"If you want to keep waiting for your chance, before you know it you’re 23, and teams, managers will start picking up players who are more experienced in the Championship, who have 100 appearances to their name, instead of the guy from Arsenal who has played for England Under-19’s.
"And that’s kind of what’s happened to me as well."
Balogun, who joined Arsenal at the age of eight, was conspicuously absent from the Arsenal squad beaten 2-0 by Manchester City in the Premier League 2 on Friday night.
Igho Kingsley
Photo Credit : arsenal.com
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