Nigerian football star Alex Iwobi has revealed how his departure from Arsenal F.C. happened, saying the decision came while he was still on holiday after the Africa Cup of Nations. Speaking during a podcast interview titled High Performance, Iwobi said he had just completed a strong AFCON campaign when Arsenal’s then manager Unai Emery advised him to take two additional weeks off. While spending time with his family in Dubai, the club signed Ivory Coast winger Nicolas Pépé, which made him question his future at the club. “I was away at AFCON. I had a good AFCON. I came back and Unai Emery told me to take two weeks extra and enjoy my holiday. I was in Dubai with my family and then they signed Nicolas Pépé. I thought, if you really want me, why are you signing another winger?” Iwobi said. The situation intensified when his agent informed him that Everton F.C. were interested in signing him. Iwobi recalled that he was in the ocean in Dubai with very little network coverage when his agent called to say Everton manager Marco Silva wanted to speak with him. According to him, before he had the opportunity to properly make a decision, Arsenal had already forwarded his medical documents to Everton. “Before I even had a chance to say yes or no, Arsenal basically said they don’t mind me going,” he explained. After discussing the situation with his parents and sister, Iwobi agreed to the move, saying he felt it was the right time to step out of his comfort zone. However, the transition was not easy at first. The Nigerian international said he initially lived alone in a hotel in Liverpool for several months, struggling with loneliness and adjusting to a new city away from family and friends. “I’ve always been an Arsenal kid. Arsenal was all I knew. So going somewhere else and staying in a dark hotel room by myself… it was tough,” he said. Iwobi eventually settled into life at Everton and continued his career in the English Premier League.