Former Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo made a surprise appearance at the club's training ground on Tuesday, reuniting with manager Mikel Arteta ahead of the Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague.
Sanogo, who played alongside Arteta at Arsenal between 2013 and 2016, was seen at London Colney in the morning as the squad trained. The reason for his visit to the Sobha Realty Training Centre was not disclosed, but he had the chance to speak with Arteta before the Spaniard turned his attention to preparations for the European match.
Saliba returns to training
The session also marked the return of Sanogo's compatriot William Saliba, who continued his recovery from a back injury that has kept him out since the World Cup semi-final in July.
Sanogo joined Arsenal on a free transfer from Auxerre, having impressed Arsene Wenger after scoring seven goals in the same week. Reflecting on that period, Sanogo told Masterclass media: "For all the problems I'd had, the phone wouldn't ring for two years. But after my seven goals in two games, Arsene Wenger calls me."
Sanogo's Wenger story
He recalled the moment Wenger called him: "I had a little Motorola, I promise you I had that phone. I was at home using my Macbook and I saw +44. I'm thinking 'What is this number?' So I don't answer, but he called again. I say 'Hello'. 'Hello, it's Arsene Wenger'. I thought it was a joke."
Sanogo described the conversation that led to his move: "He tells me 'Everybody is talking about you, seven goals in one week, not many players have done it'. And I told him 'Yes, thank you, that's nice'. But I didn't know what to say. He told me 'I see you are shy. I'm getting my plane and I want to meet you. I don't know if you care, I know there's a lot of clubs that want you, especially after the week you had. Would you be interested to meet me in Paris?'"
He added: "I said 'Yes' but I don't realise. I think it's amazing. He asked me when it's OK to come to Paris and he hung up. I'm saying 'Wait, wait, it was really Wenger?' I had two years of problems. Six, seven games [later], Wenger calls me. I'll sign right now."
Career after Arsenal
Sanogo's time at Arsenal did not yield a successful spell, with his only goal for the club coming in a 2-0 Champions League group stage win over Borussia Dortmund in November 2014. The 33-year-old has been without a club since leaving Amazonas last year but has not officially retired from professional football.
