Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun is currently one of the most exciting young players in Europe. Playing on loan at Ligue 1 side Reims, Balogun scored 17 goals in a national competition and is getting London club fans excited about his future in the Gunners’ jersey. But they are not the only ones.
The United States men’s national team goalie Matt Turner, who currently plays for Arsenal, recently praised Balogun and predicted a great career for the 21-year-old. Turner also expressed hope to be able to play with Balogun as part of USMNT as well.
Balogun was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is eligible to represent the U.S. on the international level. However, he can also play for Nigeria since his parents are Nigerian, and for England, where he was raised and spent his entire soccer career.
Turner realizes that USMNT faces big competition, but believes Balogun would be a great addition to the team.
“He’d be a great addition to our national team. I think he’s done really well, obviously, for his club on loan, and we’ll see,” Turner told reporters on Tuesday. “The decision has to come from the heart, because it’s not necessarily an easy task to come and play in these CONCACAF games. It’s a tough region at times. So for us, we’d be really grateful to have him, but his heart needs to be in it.”
Folarin Balogun represented the U.S. on the U18 level, playing four games in 2018 and scoring two goals. He later switched his allegiance to England, playing for the country’s U20 and U21 teams.
