Each day we pick out a player and cut through the noise to give analytical, objective insight. Wednesday's focus is on Folarin Balogun.
- Age: 21
- Position: Striker
- Club: Reims (on loan from Arsenal)
- Country: England
While the trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar dominate the conversation of elite forwards in France's leading division, it's an Arsenal loanee that is currently topping them all.
Folarin Balogun's 14 goals this season puts him top of the Ligue 1 scoring charts - a remarkable return of a goal every 0.67 games for mid-table Reims.
Such remarkable form is particularly surprising when we factor in the underwhelming loan spell with Sky Bet Championship side Middlesbrough last season.
Three goals came from 2.93 xG during his 18 games following a January 2022 switch - an underlying number surpassed after just six league games at his new club with five across that short period.
These top-level showings are no fluke either. Balogun has posted a shot in all-but-one of his 21 Ligue 1 outings - leading to an xG/95 rate that sits above the influential Messi and Neymar.
Mbappe claims top spot in this comparison but by the smallest of margins. A recent hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Lorient saw Balogun return an eye-watering 11 efforts towards goal - with an unsurprisingly high xG tally of 2.09.
His influence is outlined in the fact that was his only multi-goal game of the Ligue 1 campaign, with 50% of Reims' league contests seeing the Arsenal loanee having a direct impact.
Balogun sits third to Messi and Mbappe in terms of average shots per outing, but that further highlights his clinical nature. A goal conversion rate sitting at 22.6% beats that of Eddie Nketiah (13.8%) and Gabriel Jesus (10.0%) in the Premier League.
Arsenal's 45 goals across their 20 league games this season is only bettered by Manchester City, while they sit third to Guardiola's men and Liverpool in terms of xGF this season.
Just where Balogun fits into Mikel Arteta's Gunners in the long-term remains to be seen, but the option of further firepower to add to the Arsenal is there for the future - one in which they may well be the defending champions.
