Monaco striker and former Arsenal protege Folarin Balogun has admitted that his summer exit from the Emirates Stadium was out of his control.
The USA international was tipped for big things in North London following a number of prolific campaigns at youth level, having amassed 75 goals in 103 games from Under-18 to Under-21 level.
Balogun earned fleeting first-team opportunities under Mikel Arteta in the 2020-21 season and briefly made a name for himself in the Europa League, scoring two goals and setting up one more in the competition that year.
However, the 22-year-old failed to make his mark in the Premier League amid competition from Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Eddie Nketiah, while a disappointing loan spell at Middlesbrough in the 2021-22 campaign saw him net just three goals in 21 games.
Balogun unexpectedly transformed himself into one of Ligue 1's most dangerous marksmen with Reims last season, though, netting 21 goals in 37 games, only behind Jonathan David, Lacazette and Kylian Mbappe.
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The Hale End product returned to North London for pre-season with his future up in the air, as a plethora of European clubs were said to be battling for his signature over the summer, including Chelsea and Inter Milan, while an audacious switch to Tottenham Hotspur was briefly mooted.
Balogun was involved in Arsenal's tour of the USA, but Monaco eventually agreed a deal to sign the former England youth international on a five-year deal for approximately €30m (£26m), ending his 12-year association with the Gunners.
Opening up on his Arsenal exit to ESPN, Balogun revealed that he only held brief discussions with Arteta upon his return, and he felt powerless to control his next career move as the Gunners board weighed up their options.
"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," the forward said. "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.
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"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. 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, caught up with my family."
Since arriving at the Stade Louis II, Balogun has picked up where he left off in Ligue 1 with three goals and one assist from five games, despite missing two penalties in a 1-0 loss to Nice last month.
The 22-year-old dusted himself down to register a goal and assist in a subsequent 3-2 beating of Marseille, before also scoring Les Monegasques' second in a 3-1 beating of former club Reims last weekend.
Balogun's exploits have helped Monaco rise to the top of the Ligue 1 table with 17 points from eight games, one point clear of second-placed Nice, and Adi Hutter's side are back in action against Metz on October 22 following the international break.
Prior to the resumption of domestic football, Balogun will pull on the USA jersey for international friendlies with Germany and Ghana on Saturday and Wednesday respectively.
Ben Knapton
