Nigeria international Alex Iwobi has revealed the circumstances that led to his departure from Arsenal F.C., explaining that the club’s signing of Nicolas Pépé changed the direction of his career.
Iwobi, a product of Arsenal’s Hale End academy, spent more than a decade at the North London club before leaving for Everton F.C. in 2019.
Reflecting on the transfer, the Nigerian midfielder said the sequence of events unfolded unexpectedly while he was away on international duty.According to Iwobi, he had just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria finished third.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery granted him additional time off to recover from the tournament.Iwobi explained that he travelled to Dubai with his family during the break, believing he would return to continue his career at Arsenal.
However, while he was away, the club completed a major transfer move for Pépé, signing the winger from Lille in a deal worth around £72 million.
The midfielder said the development came as a surprise.He recalled that while on holiday, his agent informed him that Everton were interested in signing him.
At the time, Iwobi insisted he was comfortable at Arsenal and willing to compete for his place in the squad despite the arrival of a new winger.“I was away at AFCON… I was told to take two extra weeks,” Iwobi said, explaining that during that period Arsenal completed the Pépé signing.
As the transfer window deadline approached, Everton intensified their pursuit. Iwobi said the situation escalated quickly when his representatives informed him that Arsenal were prepared to accept the offer and had already arranged a medical as part of the process.
Realising that the club was open to selling him, Iwobi agreed to the move and joined Everton in a deal reported to be around £34–£40 million.The Nigerian midfielder later established himself as a key figure at Everton before eventually moving to Fulham F.C. in 2023.
Looking back, Iwobi described the entire episode as sudden and unexpected, noting that he initially had no intention of leaving Arsenal but ultimately accepted the transfer as a new challenge in his career.
Image Credit: LIB
Source: LIB
