{"id":298128,"date":"2023-12-15T20:40:59","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T20:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=298128"},"modified":"2023-12-15T20:40:59","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T20:40:59","slug":"arsenal-have-former-striker-alexandre-lacazette-to-thank-for-34m-transfer-boost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/soccer\/arsenal-have-former-striker-alexandre-lacazette-to-thank-for-34m-transfer-boost\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal have former striker Alexandre Lacazette to thank for \u00a334m transfer boost"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arsenal star Balogun sent warning by ex-USA international<\/h3>\n

Arsenal have Alexandre Lacazette to partly thank for the \u00a334million they received for Folarin Balogun this summer. The USMNT star says he developed his game by studying the Frenchman while he was coming through the ranks at the Emirates.<\/p>\n

The pair only played nine minutes together on the field, a League Cup clash against\u00a0AFC Wimbledon back in September 2021, but they spent a fair bit of time together on the training ground where Lacazette was always on hand to give the young striker his advice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, they are set to reunite on Friday evening as Balogun’s AS Monaco take on Lacazette’s Lyon in a Ligue 1 clash. Speaking about his former team-mate ahead of the match, Balogun said: \u201cWhen I was with Arsenal, I spoke with Lacazette a lot.<\/p>\n

“Of course, I was a young player coming through, so he was in a position where he was giving me advice and helping me.\u00a0We spoke a lot and every time we faced Lyon, it was a nice opportunity to catch up with him and I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be no different when we play them this Friday.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s\u00a0a very clinical finisher,” he added. “Also, his approach to the game from deep, his link-up play, I\u2019ve looked at that and studied how he always has so much time and space when he comes to feet, so I think I\u2019ve learnt this from him and it is something that I have added to my game.”<\/p>\n

Balogun moved to Monaco in August on a five-year deal following an impressive spell on loan at Reims where he bagged 21 goals in 37 league games. The 22-year-old never really got a chance to show what he was made of in north London, making only 10 senior appearances for his boyhood club.<\/p>\n

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