Most prolific loan goalscorers ever as Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun outshines Mbappe… but he’s not No1

ARSENAL academy graduate Folarin Balogun has emerged as one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe this season.

The 21-year-old is currently enjoying a successful loan spell in France with Reims.

And his red-hot form has seen him rack up an impressive total of 15 goals in 22 league games, making him the top scorer in Ligue 1.

He has outscored the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Alexandre Lacazette and Wissam Ben Yedder so far this season, leaving many Arsenal fans excited for his return to north London.

Balogun has already established himself among the highest-scoring on-loan strikers of all-time.

Those who have achieved similar success include the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Emmanuel Adebayor and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

SunSport has looked back on some of those memorable loan spells from the past decade to see how Balogun compares.

Duvan Zapata - 23 goals (2018/19)

In July 2018, Sampdoria agreed to loan Zapata to Serie A rivals Atalanta for two seasons.

The Colombia international scored 23 goals in 37 league appearances during his first season in Bergamo - only Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella netted more.

Atalanta finished third in the table that season, 16 points above Sampdoria in ninth.

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Following his two-year loan, Zapata signed a permanent contract with the Black and Blues and has been with the club ever since.

Bafetimbi Gomis - 20 goals (2016/17)

Gomis was loaned out by then-Premier League club Swansea to Marseille in 2016.

By the end of his season-long loan at the Stade Velodrome he had netted 20 goals in 31 Ligue 1 games, making him one of the league's top scorers.

He is now playing for Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray.

Paco Alcacer - 18 goals (2018/19)

Alcacer joined Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan in August 2018 after falling out of favour at Barcelona.

By the end of the 2018/19 campaign he had scored 18 goals in 26 Bundesliga appearances - only Robert Lewandowski scored more.

Dortmund chiefs were so impressed by his form that they decided to sign him on a permanent deal midway through the campaign, so in February 2019 the German giants signed him for around £20million.

Alcacer now plays for Sharjah in the UAE Pro League.

Emmanuel Adebayor - 17 goals (2011/12)

In 2011, then-Manchester City star Adebayor was loaned to Tottenham - just two years after leaving Arsenal.

The striker scored 17 times for Spurs to help them to a fourth-place finish, but his parent club went on to win the Premier League.

He eventually signed a permanent deal with the Lilywhites before moving across London to Crystal Palace in 2016.

Adebayor now plays for Togolese club AC Semassi.

Romelu Lukaku - 17 goals (2012/13)

Lukaku joined West Brom on loan from Chelsea in August 2012, one year after signing for the west London club from Anderlecht.

He scored 17 goals in 35 games for the Baggies, but despite his impressive form he was loaned out again the following season.

On the final day of the 2013 summer transfer window, Lukaku joined Everton on another season-long loan.

During his time at Goodison Park he scored 15 goals in 33 appearances.

As a result, the Toffees signed him for a club-record fee of £28m the following summer.

Following his time at Everton, Lukaku enjoyed spells with Manchester United and Inter Milan respectively before returning to Chelsea for a club record fee of £97.5million in 2021.

But after falling out of favour he returned to Inter Milan on a season-long loan last summer.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 16 goals (2011/12)

In January 2011, Aubameyang joined St Etienne on a six-month loan from AC Milan.

He scored 16 goals for the French side during that short space of time and his loan was subsequently extended for the following season as a result before he signed on a permanent basis.

The striker then shot to stardom at Borussia Dortmund before joining Arsenal in January 2018.

But, three years later his contract with the Gunners was terminated following a series of disciplinary breaches.

In February 2022, he joined Barcelona on a free transfer but returned to London to join Chelsea just seven months later.

He has since fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and is expected to leave during the summer transfer window.