25 July 2023 , 06:33
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Folarin Balogun trained separately from his Arsenal team-mates on Monday - as speculation about his future continues to grow.
Balogun, 22, could leave the Gunners this summer after scoring 21 Ligue 1 goals for Reims during a loan spell last season. The United States international wants to play regular first-team football but will struggle to do that under Mikel Arteta at the Emirates.
Arteta already has a number of forwards on his books in Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard and new signing Kai Havertz. There's a chance Arsenal could cash in on Balogun, who has two years left on his contract, in the coming weeks.
Champions League runners-up Inter Milan are interested in signing Balogun, with Arsenal slapping a £50million price tag on him. The emerging striker was an unused substitute in their 2-0 pre-season defeat to Manchester United in New Jersey on Saturday.
Arsenal have travelled to Los Angeles ahead of their clash against Barcelona on Thursday. Instead of training with his team-mates, Balogun worked with an individual coach. It's unclear whether he will feature against the LaLiga champions later this week.
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Oleksandr Zinchenko also completed a one-on-one training session, as he continues his recovery from a calf injury. The Ukraine international, 26, missed Arsenal's final three Premier League fixtures of last season due to the worrying complaint.
Balogun was one of the most exciting players in Ligue 1 last season and will not want to sit on the bench at the Emirates. It's unlikely he will complete another loan spell due to the length of his contract and will want his long-term future resolved.
Folarin Balogun trained alone on Monday (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Do you think Folarin Balogun should leave Arsenal this summer? Let us know in the comments below!
"To be honest I was away for the year so I'm just back," Balogun told reporters earlier this month. "Obviously I'm just focused on pre-season with the team. It's nice to see everyone, all the staff... my agent and family are dealing with [my future]."
Arteta added: "It's great because he's done incredibly well. Now we have to think about what is best to do. We want to see him, we want to experience him in the next few games... then we'll make the best decision."
Balogun is not afraid to make a bold decision after switching his international allegiance from England to the United States in May. The youngster's brave call was vindicated in June, as he scored in the CONCACAF Nations League final win against Canada.
He was born in New York but grew up in England and joined Arsenal's academy aged eight. He's scored twice in 10 senior appearances for Arteta's team and has spent time on loan with Middlesbrough, scoring three goals in 18 Championship outings.
Balogun's big break was a Reims, where he enjoyed a prolific campaign to prove himself at first-team level. He represented England at youth level, scoring seven goals in 13 U21 appearances before deciding to play for the United States.