October 16, 2022
The brief from today:
Three options considered by Balogun
Arsenal owned, Folarin Balogun, who is currently on loan at Ligue 1 side Reims, revealed some interesting details about his thoughts on national team representation. The 21-year-old has been spoken of glowingly at Arsenal, but he never really found space in the first team. After only making two appearances for the Gunners in the Premier League midway through last season, he was loaned to Championship side, Middlesbrough, for the second half of the campaign. The summer would see the big money signing of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, coupled with Eddie Nketiah’s contract extension, resulting in Balogun falling down the pecking order. Following all this, Balogun opted to go out on loan again, but this time he would go abroad to France. He has since hit the ground running—despite the new and unfamiliar surroundings—with six goals in the first 11 matches—which puts him tie for fifth in the scoring charts, only four behind the leader. Inevitably, early questions are being asked of him regarding where he sees his future both at club and international level. He is currently under contract with Arsenal until 2025, but he hasn’t fully ruled out the possibility of moving on to find more consistent playing time. On the national team front, he has represented England officially at U17 through U21 level, while he also participated in a friendly tournament for the US U18 national team, which he is eligible for since he was born in New York. Then there is the added twist that his family background is Nigerian, and he often talks about his grandmother and cousins still living in Lagos, as well as his mother frequently speaking to him in Yoruba. Considering he hasn’t played for England at the senior level in any official tournament, his options are still wide open regarding who he ultimately chooses to represent. If his early season form in Ligue 1 continues, then he will surely be on the receiving end of a charm offensive from England, the US, and Nigeria in order to gain his allegiance.
Folarin Balogun has played for England at youth level, but may opt for the US or Nigeria at senior level
Strategic decisions over financial ones
With the summer transfer window concluding just over a month ago, certain details from various contracts are periodically being leaked to the public. For instance, there are situations like that of Jonathan Clauss, the new Marseille right back who just joined the team from Ligue 1 rivals, Lens. The 30-year-old made the headlines in March this year when his impressive club form for Lens earned him his first ever France call up. He initially took part in a set of friendlies, before being included in the official squads for the UEFA Nations League matches later in the summer. Seeing that he was increasingly becoming a part of France coach, Didier Deschamps’s, plans, he made a strategic decision when choosing which club he would transfer to in July. Atletico Madrid approached Lens for the defender, offering Clauss a salary of €4.5 million per year, but then Marseille also stepped forward, albeit with a lower annual compensation for Clauss of €3.3 million. On face value, the Atletico offer was far more appealing, but contrary to the typical financially motivated decision making that is exhibited in football, Clauss opted for the Marseille offer. His reasoning was actually quite pragmatic as it was more professionally motivated rather than money driven. Rather than risk the continuity he was developing with the France team by moving abroad and potentially not settling in quickly, Clauss stayed local ensuring a seamless transition. As a result, he has been one of the better performers for Marseille this season, and has continued to be called up by Deschamps since. With the World Cup now around the corner, perhaps the calculated decision making by the Frenchman might pay off in the long run even if money was left on the table.
Jonathan Clauss chose the less lucrative Marseille transfer last summer to keep his France hopes alive