The date is 12th July 2021 and there is disgruntlement amongst Arsenal fans. Yet again, William Saliba had been loaned out, this time for a third occasion.

Signed for £27m in 2019, the French centre-back hadn't played a single first-team match for the Gunners and it looked as though Mikel Arteta was set to waste one of the finest young talents in the game.

However, like his mentor Pep Guardiola did with Phil Foden, the Spanish coach was merely biding his time and waiting for the very perfect moment to unleash him.

Saliba made it no secret that he wanted to play first-team football and after a campaign at Marseille in which he was named Ligue 1's Young Player of the Year, that request was warranted.

A role was expected this term at Arsenal but few would have expected him to have started every single Premier League fixture in 2022/23.

His performances have been monstrous and his partnership alongside Gabriel is a huge reason as to why the Gunners are top of the pile.

It was certainly frustrating not to see the 21-year-old handed a chance earlier in his Arsenal career but his development has been managed superbly by the club.

Since then, those at London Colney have been monitoring the development of another 21-year-old.

Like Saliba, they are playing their football in the French top tier and devastating their opponents. That happens to be striker Folarin Balogun.

He has had a remarkable campaign and after a first loan spell at Middlesbrough saw just three goals in 21 outings, the England U21 international has exploded.

Having signed for Stade Reims on loan, Balogun has found the net on 14 occasions in 21 outings. He is outscoring Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe with the American born attacking sitting at the top of the scoring charts for the whole division.

Quite week has played out for the youngster as he scored a late equaliser against PSG last weekend and then in midweek bagged a hat-trick versus Lorient in a 4-2 victory.

Such form has seen his explosive nature and pace dubbed "electric" by Maximiliano Bretos, an American podcaster, and as an "amazing talent" by French reporter Julien Laurens.

Praise in that regard has been a regular thing for the talented forward this term and as their French sensation did in France, he is now only going from strength to strength.

Two loan spells in, it may well take a third temporary stint as it did for Saliba for his development to be completed.

There will no doubt be calls to throw him into the first-team picture next term but with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah leading the line admirably in 2022/23, it is hard to see how he ousts them.

It would not be a surprise to see a Premier League loan next term and if he can thrive there, the Gunners will have a heck of a player on their hands, one of Saliba's standing.

Even if he doesn't succeed, a handsome payday could well be coming for Arsenal.