Folarin Balogun said he had a good conversation with Mikel Arteta before his move to AS Monaco from Arsenal.
"He didn’t really say much, when I came back he just said well done, and he encouraged me to keep going," Balogun said.
‘Then me coming back in a pre-season, 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."
Balogun was the subject of much speculation over the summer following a terrific campaign on loan at Reims, where he scored 21 goals in 37 Ligue 1 appearances.
The 22-year-old eventually returned to France via Monaco in a deal worth €40million (£34.4m), and he has made a fine start for his new club, with three goals in his first five games.
