Ball-oh-gun: Arsenal loanie of Nigerian descent has Europe at his feet

Penalty. Right-footed volley. Left-footed volley. Hat-trick!

Those three are now in a bag with 11 more Folarin Balogun has scored since the season kicked off, which makes him the French league Golden Boot at the moment, ahead of such behemoths like Neymar or Kylian Mbappe (13 goals scored, one less than Balogun).

The 21-year-old Arsenal striker on loan at Reims is having the time of his life with the Ligue 1 mid-table slot.

Balogun has been especially remarkable in 2023, dropping a last-gasp equalizer in the recent clash with Paris Saint-Germain, which got him the under the spotlight.

Born in the United States in 2001, he represents England at the international youth level but is still eligible to represent Nigeria, the country where his parents were born and raised.

Balogun joined Arsenal at the age of eight after being scouted while playing for his previous Sunday League side, Aldersbrook. Before trialling with Arsenal, he had trialled with North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and nearly signed for them. He signed a professional contract in February 2019 and made his Premier League debut in a 2-0 loss against Brentford on 13 August 2021. On 12 January 2022, he joined EFL Championship club Middlesbrough on a loan deal until the end of the season. After that short spell, he was sent to Reims, where he's obviously enjoying himself thoroughly. And guess who's surely returning to the Emirates as soon as this season ends to make Arsenal's Champions League squad even more exquisite.

"He is a super complete striker," Reims manager William Still said after his late heroics against PSG. "He is able to play with his back to goal, in depth. It is technically very clean. He scores, he is decisive."