Bernd Leno has linked the way he was exiled by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal to the kind of treatment Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang received, though he conceded he got off lightly in comparison.
The former Gunners shot-stopper left the club this summer after four years between the sticks at the Emirates, swapping North London for the west of the capital to ply his trade for recently-promoted Fulham. Leno has already returned, however, lining up for the Cottagers during their recent 2-1 defeat away at his former side.
He received a warm reception from the Arsenal faithful upon his return to his old stomping ground, but that was before Leno decided to make some interesting comments surrounding the circumstances leading up to his Gunners exit.
Speaking to German outlet SportBILD, the goalkeeper claimed that he was phased out of the first-team fold at Arsenal in a similar, albeit not as severe fashion, as ex-Gunners' striker and new Chelsea recruit Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. "I was allowed to go to my teammates in the dressing room," he explained.
"It was different with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was only allowed into the dressing room when no one was there." The Gabon international forward was guilty of one too many disciplinary breaches in the eyes of Arteta, who made the bold choice of culling the then-club captain before his eventual January exit to Barcelona.
Leno's eye-opening comments did not stop there, with the 30-year-old claiming club "politics" was the main factor in his Arsenal departure. "When I realised that it wasn't about performance or quality, I knew I had to go," he admitted.
"During the preparation, I saw that it's not about performance, it's just about politics. It was clear to me: I have to get out of here." Leno was the first-choice goalkeeper at Arsenal for the majority of his time at the club, but last season saw him lose his place to young England international Aaron Ramsdale.
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Gunners boss Arteta has since addressed Leno's claims during his pre-match media duties before Arsenal's opening game of the new Europa League campaign away at FC Zurich.
The Arsenal manager admitted: "I’m really surprised and I don't know if he’s talking about the politics when he was starting every match or when he wasn’t playing. Really surprised about it."
Leno will line up against former Arsenal colleague Aubameyang this weekend as Fulham welcome local rivals Chelsea to Craven Cottage for a Saturday lunchtime West London derby in what is expected to be the first game of Graham Potter's Blues tenure following his appointment on Thursday afternoon.
Fulham have made a positive start to the season and Leno has started the last four outings, though he is yet to actually keep a clean sheet for his new side.
