30 January 2023 , 19:51
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It appears Folarin Balogun is not ready to give up on his Arsenal dream after paying tribute to Gunners legend Thierry Henry.
Balogun, 21, is currently flourishing on loan at French side Reims. The England U21 international has scored 11 goals in 19 Ligue 1 games this season - including a last-minute equaliser against leaders Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on Sunday night.
Balogun called Arsenal his "family" during a recent interview and dropped another hint on his future against PSG by copying one of Henry's iconic celebrations for France during his heyday. Henry was at the Parc des Princes to watch Balogun's equaliser.
PSG are the favourites for the Ligue 1 title and took the lead when Neymar opened the scoring in the 51st minute. After that, Christophe Galtier's side were expected to win - especially with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe joining Neymar in attack.
Yet Balogun's late strike snatched a point for the visitors. The result leaves PSG, who have won just one of their four Ligue 1 games, just three points clear at the top of the table. Reims, meanwhile, are up to 11th - 11 points clear of the relegation zone.
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Balogun spoke to Henry before the game and paid tribute to him by leaning on a corner flag after his goal. He then posted a picture of Henry doing to same celebration on social media and added: "Spoke to Titi [Henry] before the game! Only right to show my respect."
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Balogun joined Arsenal aged eight and graduated from the club's academy - making his senior debut in October 2020. He has scored just two goals in 10 senior appearances for the Gunners and struggled to flourish during a loan spell at Middlesbrough last term.
Balogun, who has two-and-a-half years left on his Arsenal contract, joined Reims last August and has proven himself - much to Mikel Arteta's delight. The Gunners boss wanted the striker to complete a loan spell overseas to mature as a player.
"Arsenal is my family," Balogun told L'Equipe. "For me, the club represents brotherhood and unity. There, I learned always to push my limits. I remember from training the permanent desire to progress on a technical level.
"For example, we had to control the ball for 45 minutes without letting it touch the ground. I even practiced that this morning [Thursday] in training. Thierry Henry, the legend, who sometimes coached us.
"It doesn’t just mean on the pitch but also off the pitch. I think by the time I go back I’ll be in a better place to compete than I was before I left. I realised there were certain things I would struggle with but I think that’s a good thing.
"It helps you to manage stuff you’re uncomfortable with which is important. It is still early but definitely if I am around those sorts of names at the end of the season I would be really happy with myself."