"I was training with Tottenham" - Arsenal loanee reveals he used to train with North London rivals
Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun has revealed that he used to train with Tottenham Hotspur during his trial with the Gunners as a school-going kid.
Ultimately, Arsenal came through with an offer and added him to their ranks in 2011. Balogun is currently on a season-long loan at Stade de Reims, who onboarded him this summer after Hugo Ekitike's initial loan move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Speaking in an interview with the official Ligue 1 website (h/t HITC), Balogun said:
"My dad got a phone call from Tottenham. They were also offering me one (a trial). We hesitated because Arsenal were meant to give us a decision soon.
"In the end, my dad was taking me to Arsenal training on Monday, Thursday and Friday, and the others days of the week, I was training with Tottenham."
Folarin Balogun (21) in Ligue 1:
14 games, 8 goals, 2 assists.
(via @GFFN ) https://t.co/8U8JVj1VMO
Balogun continued:
"It was intense because as well as playing for the two teams, I was going to school, of course. Everything ended well since Arsenal eventually offered me to sign, and we accepted."
With both clubs being in north London, it's not uncommon for young players to dabble between the two English giants. Harry Kane, for example, was released by the Gunners as an eight-year-old and joined Spurs in 2004.
Balogun has had an impressive time in France, scoring eight times and providing two assists in 14 Ligue 1 matches. The 21-year-old, along with Eddie Nketiah, could be the backup manager Mikel Arteta needs for Gabriel Jesus from next season onwards.
The New York-born England U21 international is tied to a contract with the Gunners that expires in the summer of 2025.
Arsenal's Folarin Balogun reveals admiration for Ronaldo Nazario
In the aforementioned interview, Balogun was asked whether he grew up supporting Arsenal.
This team! 💪😤 https://t.co/iJFmuSLKb0
He revealed that he did not, but that he grew up supporting former Real Madrid and Barcelona striker Ronaldo Nazario. He said:
"So, I was a big football fan but I didn't support any particular team. Me, it was especially Ronaldo the Brazilian."
Balogun's path to first-team football with the north London giants has cleared up to an extent this year. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was allowed to leave the club on a free transfer to join Barcelona in January.
The Gabon international is now at Chelsea after leaving the Blaugranas this summer. Alexandre Lacazette, meanwhile, left for Olympique Lyonnais at the end of his contract at the Emirates before the start of the season.