FORMER Arsenal forward Yaya Sanogo has revealed the shock phone call he received from Arsene Wenger before joining the North London giants.
Sanogo, 30, signed for the Gunners from Auxerre on a free transfer in 2013 after his deal with the Ligue 2 side expired.
Arsenal’s interest stemmed from a one-week period in which the striker netted seven goals in two games – four against Stade Lavollais and a hat-trick against Tours FC.
It did not work out for Sanogo at the Emirates as he ended up playing just 20 times and scoring one goal under Wenger before leaving for Toulouse in 2017.
But he still looks back fondly on his first conversation with the iconic French coach.
It came after his remarkable goalscoring week as Sanogo was left in utter disbelief that Wenger was calling him – just months after he had returned from a lengthy period out injured.
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Speaking to Masterclass Media, he said: “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.
“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.
“I say ‘Yes?’ ‘It’s Yaya Sanogo?’ I say ‘Yes’. And I don’t speak.
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“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?’
“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.”
Sanogo, who received a 2014 FA Cup winner’s medal, had disappointing loan spells at Crystal Palace, Ajax and Charlton before permanently leaving Arsenal for Toulouse.
He netted 16 times in 72 games for the Ligue 1 side across a three-year spell.
He then joined Championship club Huddersfield in 2021 but played just nine games and failed to find the back of the net.
After leaving Huddersfield, he enduring 18 months without a club, finally penning a contract with Armenian Premier League side Urartu in January.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
