Folarin Balogun: The English youngster at Reims outscoring PSG's big three

Folarin Balogun is the joint-second apical English scorer successful a Ligue 1 season, down lone Glenn Hoddle

Have you heard the 1 astir the English youngster outscoring Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar successful France - and who is acceptable to springiness Arsenal a "positive headache"?

The England Under-21 planetary is the apical scorer successful France's Ligue 1 with 14 goals for a mid-table squad managed by chap Englishman Will Still, who is lone 30 and ne'er played nonrecreational football.

Balogun's past 10 days person included an injury-time equaliser against Paris St-Germain and a hat-trick against Lorient.

"The goals are great, but it is everything else," said French shot writer Julien Laurens. "When you look astatine a striker you look astatine the goals - but the movement, the awareness, the intelligence, each of that is arsenic important and helium has each of that."

Balogun's prolific season

Across Europe's apical 5 leagues, lone Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen person scored much than Balogun this season.

Reims had lone won 1 crippled erstwhile Still replaced Oscar Garcia arsenic manager, initially arsenic caretaker, connected 13 October - and are unbeaten since.

But Balogun's signifier has been awesome throughout, starting his clip successful France with 5 goals successful his archetypal six games nether Garcia.

The 21-year-old's value to this Reims squad cannot beryllium underestimated. He has scored 54% of their league goals (14 retired of 26) - a higher stock of immoderate subordinate for a squad successful Europe's apical 5 leagues.

Only six Reims players haves scored successful the league this season. Their adjacent apical scorer, Junya Ito, has scored 4 times.

"He is simply a ace implicit striker," said Still. "He is capable to play with his backmost to extremity and deep. He scores, helium is decisive."

Glenn Hoddle is the lone English subordinate to ever people much goals successful a Ligue 1 season, with 18 for Monaco successful 1988-89. Balogun has 16 games near to people 5 goals and bushed that record.

What adjacent for Balogun?

Balogun scored doubly for Arsenal successful the 2020-21 Europa League

On existent form, Balogun could beryllium returning to the English champions this summer, truthful what then?

"What bash Arsenal bash with him?" asked Laurens. "Do you springiness him a spot successful the squad, bash you indebtedness him, bash you merchantability him?

"He would beryllium worthy a batch of money, an unthinkable talent, and a affirmative headache for Arsenal."

Balogun, who signed a four-year woody astatine Emirates successful 2021, is 2 years younger than Eddie Nketiah, who is the Gunners' main striker astatine the infinitesimal with Gabriel Jesus retired injured.

Nketiah is Arsenal's apical scorer with 9 goals successful each competitions this season. Jesus has netted five.

Balogun has struck 15 goals this season, including 1 connected his French Cup debut.

He would not beryllium starting astatine Arsenal from scratch either, having played 10 times for the nine implicit the erstwhile 2 seasons.

Balogun netted successful Europa League games against Molde and Dundalk and played successful 2 Carabao Cup quarter-final ties for the club.

"Arsenal is my family," helium told L'Equipe earlier this season. "For me, the nine represents brotherhood and unity.

"I deliberation by the clip I spell backmost I'll beryllium successful a amended spot to vie than I was earlier I left. I realised determination were definite things I would conflict with, but I deliberation that's a bully thing."

Could determination beryllium a alteration of nationality too? He told the BBC successful October helium would see playing for Nigeria if they called him up. He was calved successful the US to Nigerian parents but raised successful England, who helium has represented astatine 4 younker levels.

He would articulation bully institution if helium made that move. The second-top scorer successful Serie A, Atalanta's Ademola Lookman, is simply a erstwhile England Under-21 guardant who present plays for Nigeria.

Could anyone person seen this coming?

Balogun's 3 Championship goals came against Sheffield United, Birmingham and Peterborough betwixt 8 March and 2 April

Balogun's signifier seems a mile distant from past season, erstwhile helium netted 3 goals successful 21 games for Middlesbrough aft joining them connected indebtedness successful January.

"Flo Balogun wasn't a regular starter for the Boro past season," says BBC Tees sports exertion Paul Addison.

"Manager Chris Wilder would often deploy him from the bench, and his interaction for the astir portion was limited.

"He scored 3 goals successful 4 Championship matches towards the extremity of the campaign, which hinted astatine what helium mightiness beryllium susceptible of.

"That spell led galore fans to judge helium mightiness rejoin connected indebtedness for this season, but a determination didn't materialise.

"The sacking of Wilder and consequent assignment of Michael Carrick arsenic caput manager has seen the nine caput successful a antithetic absorption but his existent signifier volition person galore Boro supporters reasoning astir what mightiness person been."