French Ligue 1 side Nantes are heavily dependent on their Nigerian forward Moses Simon to deliver goals or lay assists as they aim to make a splash this season.
Since joining the club initially on a loan deal no other player has had more goals contribution to the team like the recently turned 27 year old. He was pivotal in helping them lift the French Cup for the first time in over 20 years.
The plan was to find a strike partner for Simon following the departure of Randall Kolo Muani and Khalifa Koulibaly and among their options was Arsenal teen prospect Folarin Balogun, who was made available for loan by his club.
L’Equipe today writes that the 21-year-old had been ‘in the sights’ of their management of Nantes, but the signing was blocked by coach Antoine Kombouaré and sports coordinator Philippe Mao, who were ‘particularly opposed to his arrival’.
Arsenal ended up finding an agreement with Reims, and with his first appearances, L’Equipe writes that his performances are giving Nantes ‘some regrets’, as they now watch his success while their own team struggle to find the back of the net.
So far the England youth international who is eligible for Nigeria at senior level has scored five goals in six Ligue 1 games including last weekend when he scored against Lens.