Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has reportedly agreed a deal in principle to join RB Leipzig in the summer.
According to an exclusive report from Football Insider, Arsenal have suffered a massive blow in their hopes of securing the long-term future of teenage sensation Folarin Balogun. The 19-year-old, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, is set to sign a pre-contract with Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig and will join them in the summer.
Balogun, 19, is regarded as one of the finest prospects to have come through the ranks at Arsenal in recent years. The teenage striker has had a prolific record throughout his youth career, netting 38 goals in 41 games for the Arsenal Under-18s and scoring 17 times in 41 games for the Under-23s.
Balogun made his first-team debut for Arsenal in a UEFA Europa League contest against Dundalk in the ongoing campaign. Since then, he has featured on four more occasions in all competitions, scoring two goals and setting up one more, in the process.
Balogun is rated very highly by Arsenal, but the Gunners are staring at the prospect of losing him on a free transfer at the end of the season. Indeed, the 19-year-old striker is in the final six months of his current contract with the north London giants, which had led to interest in him from Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Manager Mikel Arteta had confirmed earlier this month that Arsenal were in talks over a new deal for the striker, while also hinting that the player wanted to stay at the club. “We are negotiating at the end with an agent, with a player that wants to stay at the club and we need to find agreement. I’m telling you that we are doing everything we can to keep him here,” he said.
However, it seems like Balogun has turned down the contract offer made by Arsenal. Instead, the teenager is set for a transfer to Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig. A source close to the club has told Football Insider that the England Under-20 international is set to sign a pre-contract agreement with Julian Nagelsmann’s side and move on a free transfer when his deal runs out at the end of the season.
It remains to be seen if this is actually the case, but as things stand, Balogun’s future at Arsenal remains up in the air. And it will be quite a blow for the Gunners if they fail to convince the gifted teenager to extend his stay at the Emirates.