“This is now the right and perfect time for me to speak out and address the public about the issue because i feel Arsenal fans deserve to know some of the things that happened behind the camera”- Folarin Balogun reveals the hidden truth and what Mikel Arteta said to him before he left Arsenal

Folarin Balogun now shares what Mikel Arteta said to him before he left Arsenal

Folarin Balogun has now spoken about his departure from Arsenal this summer and his final conversations with Mikel Arteta.

In an interview with ESPN, Balogun revealed that Arteta initially didn’t say too much when he returned from Stade Reims.

And then Balogun said it later became clear that a decision was going to be made by those at the top of the Arsenal hierarchy.

Balogun said: “He 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 a preseason, 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.”

Balogun says he had a good relationship with Arteta when he left Arsenal

Of course, Arsenal fans must imagine that Arteta was involved in those conversations with the likes of Edu Gasper.

It would seem from Balogun’s comments that Arsenal had perhaps made their decision pretty early on in the summer.

Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah were always going to be difficult to displace, and neither were seriously linked with a departure.

Moreover, given Balogun similarly wasn’t ready to settle for a back-up role, the decision seemed simple for Arteta and Arsenal.

Whether Balogun’s departure will be something Arsenal will live to regret is another question entirely.

And some pundits have recently asked if the club should have instead sought a departure for Eddie Nketiah.

Nketiah has been the recipient of some criticism following his recent form.

And Ian Wright did suggest after the City game that Kai Havertz may be a better focal point for the side.