boss Mikel Arteta admits the club should have allowed Folarin Balogun to leave the club on loan sooner with the forward impressing the manager during his spell at Middlesbrough.
Balogun, who scored twice for England’s Under-21 against Albania this week, left north to join Boro on loan until the end of the season in January.
The 20-year-old has started eight games for Chris Wilder’s side with two goals to his name since the move, getting vital first-team experience having not featured in the Arsenal’s Premier League squad since August.
With and Eddie Nketiah both out of contract at the end of the season, Balogun could have a real chance to stake a first-team claim when he returns to his parent club this summer.
And while believing the loan move was overdue, Arteta is optimistic over Balogun’s future at Arsenal.
‘I think Folarin is doing what he needed to do,’ Arteta told a press conference ahead of Monday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
‘Probably we should have done it a little bit earlier, it is always difficult to time when is the best moment to do that.
‘But he is having the right exposure, he is playing in a different formation, in a different role with a manager and a club with huge history.
‘You can see how he is developing. This is giving us information and will give us more detail about what the next best move is to keep developing him. We want him to be part of our future.’
Balogun was called upon at the start of the season when Arteta was without both Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the opening two games of the season.
Arteta added: ‘The step was big for him (from U21s to Premier League) so it is not fair to assess in those certain moments.
‘He needed that pathway, he needed that exposure, he needs to adapt to good and difficult moments.
‘He needs to be able to adapt and find himself in a dressing room where he can develop the things required to play at this level and I think he is doing all of that really well.’
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