RE: Should Arsenal Allow Folarin Balogun Leave?
he played a liquid forward three that allowed Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and anyone partnering in the front three to move into the false 9 role. It may be that Arteta is planning to play more of this.
I agree with this assessment. I think Arteta will do this until he finds his own Erling Haaland.
I think that Balogun is at the stage of his career where regular first team football is what he needs - as he proved last season. I don't think he'll get that at Arsenal so it makes sense for him to move on. I'm hearing that West Ham are interested - with Antonio and Ings both in their 30s and another season of European football, he'll get plenty of opportunities.
The £22m price tag is fair for somebody who is still relatively unproven. He's totally unproven in the Premier League and it's unlikely that any team outside of England (other than the top Champions League sides) would pay that kind of money. At this price though, Arsenal would be prudent to include a "buy-back" clause for £30m-£40m so that they don't "do a Chelsea" and pay £100m in a few years! (Or keep him and continue to loan him out... like Chelsea!)
I'd like to see him go and prove himself in the Premier League, then come back with that £50m expectation.
I agree with you on him being yet to be proven in the EPL. I doubt he'd want to stay and be loaned out because that gives players a kind of feeling of "not being wanted", especially for someone with the kind of season he had. I think he's also alluded to something like that - not wanting to be a player on loan.
I'd think he'd do well with a decent Bundesliga side like Liepzig and yes, a buy-back clause would be great. Lol.. I can imagine how Chelsea and Manchester United feel for having to pay hugely to re-sign Lukaku and Pogba.