In-form Arsenal loanee to hold talks with Mikel Arteta amid transfer interest from PSG - Reports

Young forward Folarin Balogun is reportedly set to hold conversations with the Arsenal hierarchy regarding his future at the club amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

According to football.london, Balogun and the Gunners will talk once the forward returns to the club from his season-long loan. The England under-21 forward joined Stade Reims in August last year and has been in superb form for the Ligue 1 side.

He is currently fourth on the league's scoring charts for the ongoing campaign, having netted 18 times in 32 appearances. Only PSG's Kylian Mbappe (24 goals), LOSC Lille's Jonathan David (21) and Olympique Lyonnais' Alexandre Lacazette (20) are ahead of him.

The current season has not only been Balogun's breakout season in terms of goals. The forward has also averaged 0.9 key passes per league game, while also creating eight big chances for his teammates and recording two assists. He has done so while averaging less than 30 touches per game.

Balogun's current spell with Reims has been much better than his previous loan with Middlesbrough, where he scored just thrice in 21 matches. His improved goal output and immense potential at 21 years of age has now brought his future into focus.

Arsenal are notably blessed with attacking talent at the moment. Should Balogun return to the club, he will be competing with Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard for a spot in the starting XI.

Arteta can also call upon Eddie Nketiah, who received big minutes when Jesus was injured this season.

With the Gunners set to return to the UEFA Champions League next season, they could look to bolster their squad in other areas. Recent weeks have shown clear deficiencies in midfield and defense that need to be addressed.

Selling Balogun, whose current deal with Arsenal runs until 2025, could bring in some funds for the same. Apart from PSG, the likes of RB Leipzig, Olympique Marseille and AC Milan have also been linked with the player (via football.london).

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised PSG target Folarin Balogun earlier this season

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was questioned about Folarin Balogun's form for Stade Reims back in February this year. The Spanish tactician said (as quoted by the Gunners' official website):

“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. 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.”

Balogun has previously featured for Arsenal's first team, scoring twice in 10 appearances across competitions. The rumored PSG target has a stellar record for the Gunners' age group teams, netting 38 times in 41 matches for their U18s and 37 times in 62 games for their U21s (via Transfermarkt).