Arsenal set to make Folarin Balogun decision amid Gabriel Jesus injury boost

The 21-year-old scored his first senior hattrick for French outfit Reims last week, where he became Ligue 1's top scorer with 15 goals ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Reims boss Will Still recently described Balogun as ‘incredible’ and praised the way he had quickly adapted to French football.

It's understood that Still approached Arsenal with regards to making Balogun's loan deal permanent last month, an enquiry which was quickly rejected by technical director Edu.

However, a concrete decision on the youngster’s future will be made this summer with the likes of AC Milan and Borussia Monchengladbach both expressing interest in the former Middlesbrough loanee.

"Arsenal is my family. But I’ve spent my whole career in England and I knew it was going to be a different test when I came to Reims,” said Balogun.

"I didn’t know the language and I’m still trying to learn, but it was important for me to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. That’s the reason I’m here and hopefully it’s a decision that will pay off for me.

"I’ve already reached my target for the start of the season and now I want to do even better and I’m hoping to score 20 goals."

Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus was spotted at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground on Wednesday after completing his injury rehab in Brazil. The former Manchester City star has been sidelined since the beginning of December after suffering a knee injury whilst on international duty for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup.

Following successful surgery on his knee, Jesus had been working with a personal trainer in his homeland where he recently began to run outside on the grass.

His return to Colney is a welcome boost for Arteta’s side who head into a crucial period of the Premier League season where they currently sit as league leaders.