Folarin Balogun has revealed what Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told him in the summer before he got himself a move to AS Monaco.
The USMNT international was a wanted man after his tremendous loan spell last season. Numerous clubs tried to sign him, but it was Monaco who won the race in the end. Balogun has now suggested that it was the Arsenal board who decided to sell him, not Arteta.
Folarin Balogun shares what Mikel Arteta told him before he left Arsenal
After Folarin Balogun‘s hugely successful loan spell at Stade Reims in France, Arsenal had a decision to make about his future.
The young American scored 22 goals and provided three assists in all competitions for Will Still’s side last season. That saw his stock shoot up, and he became a target for multiple clubs.
After weeks of speculation, Monaco sealed a deal to sign Balogun. The French club struck an agreement for £35 million, giving the Gunners a huge profit on their academy product.
Balogun has now broken his silence on the move. He has shared his private conversations with Mikel Arteta once he returned for pre-season in the summer and also suggested that it was the Gunners board who decided to sell him, not the Arsenal boss.
He told ESPN: “He (Arteta) didn’t really say much, he just said that when I came back he just said well done, and he encouraged me to keep going.
“Then me coming back in pre-season, it was just more about me seeing whether I fit into his plans and seeing if I can continue to play some games.
“He said that he would try to get me involved as best as he could, but of course, he also told me that the people higher up were making decisions on me and seeing what would be best for me.
“So the conversations between me and him were good, but it was more about the club, what they wanted to do.”
The Gunners did the right thing
In an ideal world, we would’ve loved to see Folarin Balogun stay at Arsenal.
However, we already have Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Kai Havertz up top, while Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli can also play there.
There was just no way for Balogun to get any game time at Arsenal this season, so a move away was the best thing for all parties involved.
£35 million and a significant sell-on clause for a 22-year-old academy graduate is a fantastic piece of business from the Gunners, and we should be really happy with that deal.
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