United States forward Folarin Balogun has shared with ESPN that the decision regarding his stay at Arsenal last summer was beyond his influence.
In August, Balogun made a move to Monaco, a deal valued at up to €40 million ($42 million), and has enjoyed a quick start with three goals in his initial five games. Although he had an unusual pair of penalty misses against Nice, his team currently holds the top spot in Ligue 1.
During an exclusive interview with ESPN in Monaco, Balogun was questioned about his discussions with Arteta upon his return from a loan spell at Reims.
He stated that “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 could 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.”
During the summer, ESPN reported that Balogun had a strong desire to secure first-team playing opportunities, especially after a successful loan spell at Reims, where he netted an impressive 21 league goals.
United States forward Folarin Balogun has emphasised to ESPN that the decision surrounding his departure from Arsenal last summer was beyond his control.
In August, he made a switch to Monaco in a deal valued at up to €40 million ($42 million) and made a swift impact by scoring three goals in his initial five games. Despite a couple of rare penalty misses against Nice, his team currently leads in the Ligue 1 standings.
During an exclusive interview with ESPN in Monaco, Balogun was questioned about his discussions with Arteta upon his return from a loan spell at Reims. He stated:
“It [his future up in the air] wasn’t something that made me feel anxious; it was just more a case of seeing what wanted to be done,” Balogun added. “It was out of my hands; that’s how I felt. It wasn’t something I could control.
“The only thing I could do was just turn up to train and work hard. So I did that. And then, after training, I enjoyed being back in London. I saw my friends and caught up with my family.”
The 22-year-old has been called up the USMNT squad for the upcoming friendlies against Germany and Ghana.