da 888： Arsenal have started the new Premier League campaign in similarly blistering fashion as they did the last, as Mikel Arteta is seeking to mount yet another title charge, but actually see it through until the end this time.
da bet esporte： His summer additions are expected to provide the edge needed to topple Manchester City, with their win last weekend proving that the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya are already making their mark and offering the step-up needed.
However, to fund such a summer of free-spending, there unsurprisingly had to be a few casualties.
It always felt like Edu and his Spanish manager were building towards a window of such magnitude, having seen big-earners like Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette all banished for the betterment of the team.
After all, shattering the club's previous record transfer by bringing in the former West Ham United captain marked a monster transfer, and one which needed some alternative deals to offset the £105m expended.
Unfortunately, there are no better sales to be made than from the academy, marking pure profit as they go down on the books as created for free. As such, the widespread interest in Folarin Balogun proved too good to be true, and having arrived at the perfect time to cash in.
Why did Arsenal sell Folarin Balogun?
Whilst the desperation for funds likely played a big role in sanctioning the of their promising 22-year-old marksman, given the £35m they would eventually recoup marked a huge fee for someone who had only made ten senior appearances for the Gunners, there were naturally other factors that fed into the deal.
Having enjoyed a blistering loan spell with Stade Reims, where he scored 21 goals across 37 Ligue 1 showings, the young American had truly put himself on the map.
His manager during that period, Will Still, would unsurprisingly rush to praise the man who was spearheading his unlikely push for Europe: "He’s unbelievable, he has real talent but he is also just a top person. He’s trying to learn the language – we have a bit of banter because his French is terrible (but) I think he realises: being good here will allow him to get the spotlight and attention he needs."
Having now moved permanently, his language learning will certainly have to improve, as he seeks to maintain that newfound spotlight by continuing his fine form.
So, upon returning to the Emirates, he was bound to want more play time, which was a concern he has voiced since leaving: "Football is a competitive sport, and of course, the manager sometimes makes choices: sometimes there are opportunities for some players, and sometimes it’s a bit difficult. I wanted to play, I wanted to prove to people that I can compete at this level."
"I think the decision was natural, but I wouldn’t say there is any regret. As a young player, I want to play".
Clearly, with Gabriel Jesus returning from injury and Eddie Nketiah viewed as a solid backup, a starting first-team spot was massively unlikely. Whilst the sale was hardly received well, as few fans enjoy seeing academy stars offloaded, it was one which Arteta sought to justify: "We didn’t have space for him in the squad to give him the minutes that he needs.
"He was doing well last year in his loan period. He’s evolving the right way and wanted the chance to continue developing his career. He’s going to a really good club that has huge experience of developing talent, as everybody knows. So I’m really happy for him as well."
How is Folarin Balogun playing?
Since making last season's loan permanent, Balogun has shown little signs of slowing down. Even if Arteta's men may be flying too, as they sit top of the Premier League alongside rivals Tottenham Hotspur, they would certainly benefit from the exploits of the youngster, especially given the mini injury crisis suffered recently.
Seeing Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both absent from the starting XI in that aforementioned win over Pep Guardiola's outfit, a new setup had to be enforced which saw Jesus pushed out to the left wing, with Nketiah through the middle.
Whilst the former is a passable option, the latter cannot be trusted to lead the line for an extended period of time, with former Gunners defender Gael Clichy supporting such a notion: "Arsenal need a backup for Jesus, someone young who can push him to score more goals.
"Eddie Nketiah has scored some big and important goals for Arsenal, but he's not as good as Gabriel Jesus. Nketiah has proved he can be a difference-maker, but I don’t know if he's a player who can take Arsenal to the title. That's why I think Mikel Arteta should bring a top backup striker to compete with Jesus."
Unfortunately, they already had one in Balogun, who has managed to post three goals and one assist in five Ligue 1 games, boasting a conversion rate of 23%.
How good is Gabriel Jesus?
This kind of form even puts Arsenal's Brazilian forward to shame, who despite having been deployed out of position on occasion, remains nowhere near as proficient as the four-cap international.
After all, whilst the former City star may have endured an injury-hit term last year, he was also largely very profligate, having scored 11 in the league from an expected goals of 14.16.
GK
Bernd Leno
LB
Kieran Tierney
CB
Ben White
CB
Pablo Mari
RB
Calum Chambers
CM
Granit Xhaka
CM
Albert Sambi-Lokonga
CAM
Emile Smith Rowe
LW
Gabriel Martinelli
RW
Nicolas Pepe
ST
Folarin Balogun
It seems that this campaign will be no different, as he only has one goal in the Premier League after six games. Given how the former City man started last season, recording nine goal contributions in his opening 11 league games, he faces an uphill battle to finish on an admirable tally.
Enduring such a low-scoring run of form unsurprisingly has seen his goal conversion rate drop to a lowly 14%, nowhere near that of Balogun's. Perhaps, had Arteta not been so quick to offload the forward, he might have provided some real competition for Jesus, and actually usurped him for a period had such profligacy continued.
Although the funds they received marked a massive sum, coming at an incredibly useful time, in the long run it could actually prove to be a thoughtless move that might have set them back in the striker department.