Mikel Arteta has shown a willingness to get some of the young players into the first team, but it always felt like he was holding back a little with Folarin Balogun.
He mainly featured in the Europa League where he scored twice and added an assist in only 63 minutes of action, while he also had a record of one goal in every two games for the U23 side.
There will be plenty of hope that he’s given a chance to impress in the Premier League next season, and this is a pretty clear sign that he’s going to be seen as part of the first-team group:
Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun’s shirt (#38 from last season) in the dressing room at the Emirates Stadium during tours – confirming he’s been promoted to the first-team. Balogun has been temporarily assigned #40 this season but should get a lower number. [@jeorgebird] #afc pic.twitter.com/jUwZuAFqZx
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) June 30, 2021
Perhaps it will be a case of him getting some chances in pre-season games before deciding what to do next, but hopefully he’s able to show what he can do at the senior level.
