Folarin Balogun posts cryptic message after being forced to train away from Arsenal squad

Folarin Balogun has broken his silence after being forced to train away from the rest of the Arsenal squad.

Balogun, 22, has returned to Emirates following a successful loan spell at Reims, in which he finished third top scorer in Ligue 1 on 21 goals.

The striker featured in the Gunners' opening two matches of their pre-season tour of the United States, but he did not make it off the bench against Manchester United on Sunday, adding fuel to speculation that he could leave the club this summer.

Meanwhile, Balogun reportedly trained away from the rest of the Arsenal squad as they prepare to take on Barcelona in the States on Thursday.

It is claimed that instead of joining in with his teammates on the training pitch, he wandered down the tunnel before working with an individual fitness coach on his own.

The USA international has since broken his silence, posting a cryptic message on social media which may leave Arsenal fans scratching their heads.

Balogun posts cryptic message

Balogun posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearing Arsenal's new away shirt, captioning the image simply with a diamond emoji.

Speaking after Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United, Mikel Arteta played down questions about his team selection, hinting that Balogun may be given some game time against Barcelona.

"We have some options up front and we wanted to load some players that’s why some players didn’t have any exposure but they will in the next game," Arteta told reporters.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan are thought to be keen on the player's signature, with reports in Italy claiming that they will submit a loan offer with a mandatory buy option worth €35 million.

Although Arsenal are thought to be holding out for £50 million for the player, with Arteta typically keeping his cards close to his chest on the matter.

Speaking about Balogun's future last week, the Spaniard explained (quotes via football.london): "That's why [for his development] we gave him the minutes that he deserves to show what he can do.

"Yeah [I want to see him in the squad this season]. He's just staying here with us at the moment and we will see what happens."

AC Milan, Monaco and RB Leipzig are also said to be keeping tabs on Balogun this summer, with a move away seeming increasing likely.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Arsenal, Football, Mikel Arteta, Transfers, Inter Milan

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno