Ex-Arsenal star reveals transfer that ‘angered’ Unai Emery during his reign

Image credit: Getty Images

Former Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi has opened up about the emotional and unexpected nature of his departure from the club in 2019, revealing that then-manager Unai Emery had no desire to see him sold.

Iwobi, who came through the Arsenal academy and went on to make over 100 first-team appearances, was sold to Everton for £34 million on deadline day in the summer of 2019 — the same window Arsenal broke their transfer record to sign Nicolas Pepe for £72 million.

Speaking on The Inside Scoop podcast, Iwobi admitted he was “comfortable” at Arsenal and initially had no intentions of leaving, despite the arrival of another winger. “Three or two days before the transfer deadline day, my agent said Everton are interested,” Iwobi recalled. “I said nice. He said ‘what do you think?’ I said ‘I’m kind of comfortable at Arsenal.’ But Arsenal have just signed Pepe for this amount.”

READ MORE: £40m star insists no regrets over Arsenal move despite tough season

Iwobi explained that despite the competition, he was ready to fight for his place, but events quickly moved out of his control. “They said ‘do you still want to stay?’ I said ‘Yeah, I don’t mind’. I’ve had competition all my life… I’m going to prove my point.”

However, Arsenal were reportedly eager to raise funds and viewed Iwobi as a high-value asset they could offload quickly. “Normally, you need a medical before you go,” he said. “[My agent] said, ‘Arsenal have already handed in the medical, they might want you gone because they need to sell someone’. And they had players who weren’t ready to go. But the easiest one and the biggest fee was me. So I was like, ‘Ah, Arsenal want to get rid of me.’”

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NOW ARSENAL WHATSAPP GROUP CHAT NOW!

The Nigerian international said he never got the chance to say goodbye to his Arsenal teammates and admitted he felt hurt by how things unfolded. “Yeah, a bit. At least let me decide for myself.”

Iwobi also revealed a private conversation with Emery, who made it clear the decision to sell him was driven by the club, not the manager. “I spoke to Unai Emery and he said ‘Look Alex, this is football, I didn’t want you to go… you’ve always been someone willing to work for the team.’ He spoke to me on a level, that’s why I have respect for him.”

Now at Fulham, Iwobi is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, having scored nine Premier League goals this term. The move back to London has offered the 29-year-old a new lease of life after a turbulent exit from his boyhood club.

NEXT ARTICLE: Arsenal get major transfer boost as club ready to accept bid for star player