Middlesbrough loanee Folarian Balogun's move to the Riverside was made possible after a disappointing first-half display for parent side Arsenal in December, persuading Mikel Arteta to let him go elsewhere temporarily according to football.london.

The 20-year-old is a highly-rated player at the Emirates Stadium, starting the Gunners' opening league game of the 2021/22 campaign against Brentford due to an unavailability crisis and winning a limited number of first-team appearances in the English capital earlier this term.

With this and the forward recording 13 goals in 11 Premier League 2 appearances this season, Boro's ability to land him on a loan deal was seen as something of a coup by some, following Brighton and Hove Albion's Aaron Connolly through the door as the second-tier side's second temporary addition in the forward department last month.

There was no shortage of interest in his signature with AFC Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Swansea City also thought to have been in the race to bring him to the Championship.

Their chances of recruiting him are now thought to have been boosted by his underwhelming performance against the Black Cats in a Carabao Cup tie back in December, with that being the tipping point for Arteta who went on to conclude the young forward was best served making a loan move away.

The same football.london report also states that Boro offered the pay the highest percentage of the 20-year-old's wages compared to other sides who had made an approach.

He is yet to get on the scoresheet in his five appearances for Chris Wilder's men - and will be hoping to break that duck in the coming weeks.

The Verdict:

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also leaving the club during the January window, it would seem strange that the Premier League side were willing to sanction a move away, but this report makes it clearer.

From Arsenal's point of view, they should hopefully see the 20-year-old develop his game further with more game time under a very capable coach and that can only serve both the club and the player well for their long-term futures.

And in terms of Boro, this just confirms how much they were willing to pay in terms of his salary to recruit him. Fair play to Steve Gibson for making this investment - but it's probably a good thing they only have the striker on loan for only half a season with the second-tier side needing to abide by the EFL's financial rules.

This may also prove to be a beneficial move for Balogun - because it now seems as though he wouldn't have got many more first-team opportunities this season if he had remained in the English capital.

At 20, he needs to be playing senior football as much as he can because plying his trade with the Under-23s will only get him so far. Now is the time for Balogun to prove himself and show Arteta why he should never have shipped him out in the first place.