24 July 2023 , 05:00
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Former Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic has made it clear he is a huge fan of Folarin Balogun as Arsenal consider the future of their young striker.
The 22-year-old striker experienced a breakout season while out on loan at Stade de Reims in Ligue 1 last season, notching an impressive 21 league goals in 37 outings. His rapid rise has given Arsenal a decision to make and he enters pre-season with a possibility of either playing his way into Mikel Arteta's first-team plans or knowing he could depart in search of more regular football.
The Gunners academy graduate was also the subject of a tug-of-war over his future at international level. He eventually decided to commit his future to join Pulisic in the United States side.
And his new international teammate has spoken of his delight at having the Arsenal ace on board as he predicts a big future for his country. In an interview with Bleacher Report, Pulisic said: "We were thrilled, of course.
"You know, he was already able to impact the game and score. Yeah, we love having him! He just brings so much to our team and he’s such a talented player.
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"Obviously he's just phenomenal and going to be a big part of our team moving forward. I think it speaks for how far this team has come, I think we're going to be a real force moving into these next competitions and going into the next World Cup."
He added that he is hopeful that Balogun can form part of a successful team in the coming years, saying: "I think people have already seen that we've shocked a lot of people and really changed the way people see American soccer. After a pretty strong World Cup, he probably saw and young, hungry team and one that has a lot of talent."
Balogun spent the majority of his childhood living in London but was actually born in New York City, while he also qualified for Nigeria through his parentage. To complicate matters further, Balogun also played 13 times for England's U21s, with his most recent appearance coming only last year.
Folarin Balogun made his USMNT debut against Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League semi final at Allegiant Stadium. (John Todd/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)However, it was ultimately the USMNT who won the battle for his allegiance and he accepted a call-up from the country back in June for the CONCACAF Nations League finals. The former Middlesbrough loanee repaid the faith shown in him by interim head coach B.J Callaghan almost instantly, netting in just his second cap for the team.
The Arsenal prodigy made his senior bow in the semi-finals of the competition in a feisty encounter versus Mexico, which ended 4-0 after both sides were reduced to nine men. In that game, new international teammate Pulisic issued a reminder of his quality, scoring twice following a frustrating season at Stamford Bridge.
Folarin Balogun could be sold by Arsenal this summer (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Balogun was then able to win the first piece of silverware of his career in just his second outing for the US, finding the back of the net in the showpiece game versus Canada in a 2-0 win.
Although the emerging star's future at international level is now secure, the same cannot be said at when it comes to his club, with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta having admitted that the striker is being assessed during pre-season. A number of teams have been linked with a move for Balogun in recent times, with Pulisic's new employers AC Milan among them, alongside Serie A giants Napoli.
The forward could even find himself playing opposite his compatriot for city neighbours Inter Milan, as per Corriere Dello Sport. After spending the last two seasons out on loan, the homegrown ace has ruled out the prospect of moving away on a temporary basis again this term.