Not only is he one goal ahead of Mbappe in the Lige 1 Golden Boot race, he has scored 54% of Reims’ goals, without him they are relegation fodder.
He was better than Nketiah in the Championship at the same age and is currently the top goalscorer in Europe's 5th-best league despite his team being in 11th place. What do you mean, "based on?"
This isn’t meant to degrade Balogun at all; I advocated for selling Nketiah and giving Balogun his minutes a couple years ago when it was thought we wouldn’t be able to sign both. However, I think you are giving short shrift to the strides Nketiah has made over the past 18 months or so. Also, he’s probably one of the handful of leading scorers in the premiership since he’s come into the team. That has to count for more than doing the same in France, no?
Looks like Jesus is just going to have to move to right wing and be Saka's understudy. In all seriousness, I haven't watched enough of Balogun to know if he's genuinely playing well or if he's just riding some good luck. Joe Willock went on a goal scoring streak while on loan at Newcastle and Arsenal wisely cashed in while his stock was high. Willock wasn't a good fit tactically for Arteta's midfield, I don't think Balogun has the same problem.
When I saw price of Balo going up I didn't think they meant his sale price, I think after what has happened with Saliba if we have successful kids in Ligue One we bring them back, I thought he meant just overall the price has gone up as in his value + next contract. I thought the club saw Balogun as a long term player and this year probably solidifies that.
I mean, not really? Nketiah did the same thing at the end of last season and was completely useless this season pre-World Cup. He had 4 in 4 at one point last season, he's at 4 in 5 right now. Putting up sustained numbers at a high level, which Balogun is doing this season, is way more impressive to me than a bi-annual short-term good run of form.
What is the evidence he is better than Nketiah, right now? I am not saying Balogun isn't more talented but there is no evidence other than words. If he was better, Arteta wouldn't have kept Eddie and sent Balogun on loan.
Nketiah has 17 goals in his last 24 starts for Arsenal. I don't know what evidence you are seeing that it isn't sustainable.
Those 24 starts stretch all the way back to the start of last season, and half of those goals are against teams in the Football League, Norway, and at the bottom of the Swiss League. He can do it in bursts. He hasn't shown he can do it over a season against good opposition. Not yet, anyway. Balogun is showing that he can. You know damn well that's not how player development works. "If he was better, Arteta wouldn't have kept Holding and sent Saliba on loan." Was there anyone who thought that Saliba wasn't a superior player by this time last year? At the start of last season? But he needed the minutes, and he wasn't going to slot straight into the starting XI, so he was better served getting those minutes in France.
The main difference for me with Eddie last year and Eddie this year is someone on reddit had photos of him last year and this year and there is a significant physical development, so not only is his stronger, he is fitter and quicker and we are seeing that when he is running down GKs etc for 90 mins and still being able to get into the right spot like he did against Man U. Had a bit of "Boys V Men" about it.
How is balogan better? Hasn’t he scored a few pens and the French league is shit remember, it’s easier to score for bad teams because opposition play higher and attack More not saying he won’t be better but Eddie is ahead atm. His all round game improved and balogan looked lost here last year
15 goals 2 assists (one of those goals was a penalty in the French Cup) So of those 14 goals in the league, 4 of them have been penalties. But the good goals he has scored, like the one against PSG, were high quality. And he has the physical traits to do well in the EPL. French league might be a bit shit, but Saliba dominated and immediately hasn't looked out of place in our team.