Folarin Balogun has claimed that Ligue 1 is an underrated league outside of France
Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun has rubbished talk that Ligue 1 is an easy league to play in.
The Hale End academy graduate is currently on loan at French outfit Reims, enjoying a stellar campaign, netting 16 league goals from just 26 outings. That has led to some critics arguing that the 21-year-old wouldn’t be able to replicate those kind of numbers in other leagues, something that Balogun has now disputed.
Speaking to Onze Mondial, the New-York born striker said: “Ligue 1 is really very difficult. I am very shocked when I hear people saying that the league is easy.
“I don’t understand why this league isn’t sometimes respected like it should be, especially on the internet. As a Ligue 1 player, I can say that it’s a very, very difficult division.
However, if Arteta’s comments on the talented youngster are anything to go by, the Spaniard sees Balogun’s future in N5. “I’m so happy for him,” Arteta said earlier this year when discussing Balogun’s time in France.
“He’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave.
“We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and the other choices he had. He was so convinced. I’m really happy for him because he deserves what he’s getting.
“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special, that’s why we decided to give him a long-term contract and have faith in him and give him the long period that he needs now, because the loan he is having now is really different to the one he had before at Middlesbrough.”