Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun could leave the North London club on a free at the end of the season after failing to sign a new contract at the club. 

It is paramount that the Arsenal hierarchy pin the striker down to a new contract after his impressive performances in red.  

Short cameos in the Europa League have proven that he already has the confidence and ability to play at the highest level.  

Here are two reasons why the Gunners should give him that contract and promise him the game time he deserves. 

The stats 

Looking at statistics to prove an argument in football is frowned upon but in the instance of Balogun, his goal charts are impeccable. 

These alone is a reason why Arsenal should fight to keep the teenager. His goal percentage at youth level has certainly caught the eye.  

Starting with Arsenal Under-18s, the 19-year-old scored 38 goals and handed eight assists in 41 games. This equals at having a goal contribution in every game he played for the youth side. 

A level up for the Under-23s, Balogun continued to score for fun. The United States born forward scored 17 times and assisted six times in 41 games. These statistics mean that Balogun had a 56 per cent chance of creating a goal scoring opportunity on the field. 

The striker has only played five times for the first team, but he has still managed to get on the scoresheet.  

Playing four times in the Europa League, Balogun scored against Molde and Dundalk, as well as assisting against the latter in the 2-4 win away from home. 

The Hale End is peaking 

Arsenal are currently enjoying a purple patch with the introduction of their Hale End graduates into the first team. 

The likes of Ainsley Maitland Niles, Joe Willock, Emile Smith-RoweBukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Balogun are all experiencing first team football. 

The first two on that list have been integrated into the side through previous managers but the rest are starting to really improve under Mikel Arteta

Smith-Rowe and Saka are catching the headlines right now but the excitement of Balogun is creating a similar buzz.  

There will be backlash if Balogun is to leave the club because the fear is experiencing a Serge Gnabry 2.0. The German winger left Arsenal at 21-years-old for £4.5million to join Werder Bremen

Since then, he has joined Bayern Munich and established himself as one of the best wingers in the world. He recently won the UEFA Champions League last season, the height of European football. 

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