Arsenal 'could sell loanee Balogun' despite he outscoring Messi and Mbappe

Arsenal could reportedly sell loanee Folarin Balogun despite the in-form striker outscoring Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in Ligue 1 for Reims.

Balogun, 21, has stunned Arsenal by racking up 14 Ligue 1 goals this season - including a hat-trick against Lorient - under British manager Will Still.

The youngster, who had a difficult loan spell at Middlesbrough last season, has been one of the rising stars in European football, but his parent club now face a dilemma over whether he is part of their long-term plans.

New-York born Balogun, who is eligible for to play for England, USA and Nigeria, has just 18 months left on his contract and Mikel Arteta is yet to decide if the striker has a future at the club, according to The Sun.

The Gunners would either need to offer Balogun a new deal or try and sell him for maximum profit before his current contract expires.

Balogun's boss Still has been so impressed with the striker's red-hot form that he even tried to sign him on a permanent deal in the January window.

However, Arsenal rejected the proposal as they bide more time to decide what to do in the summer.

Balogun faces stiff competition in a title-challenging side with No 1 choice Gabriel Jesus still to return from injury, and understudy Eddie Nketiah stepping up to the plate in his absence.

It is understood that Arsenal could keep Balogun for the first-half of next season to see if he can perform both at the pinnacle of English and European football.

If he is unable to make his mark, Arsenal could then send the striker out on loan again but must do so before he enters the final 12 months of his contract, where they risk losing him for free.

Balogun recently set himself a target of reaching 20 goals for the season, which he is certainly capable of doing in this explosive form.

'Arsenal is my family. But I've spent my whole career in England and I knew it was going to be a different test when I came to Reims,' he said.

'I didn't know the language and I'm still trying to learn, but it was important for me to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. That's the reason I'm here and hopefully it's a decision that will pay off for me.

'I've already reached my target for the start of the season and now I want to do even better and I'm hoping to score 20 goals.'