Yaya Sanogo was a surprise visitor at London Colney on Tuesday, watching on as Mikel Arteta put his Arsenal squad through their opening session ahead of Wednesday's Champions League fixture at Slavia Prague. The former striker was pictured greeting Arteta warmly, and also embraced William Saliba, whose own return to first-team training was the day's other notable development. Arsenal go to Fortuna Arena on the back of Sunday's 1-0 victory at Liverpool.

A warm reunion at London Colney

Clips circulated on social media by Hayters TV showed Sanogo being met with hugs and smiles as he caught up with Arteta, his former team-mate, before the manager turned his attention to preparing the side for the trip to Czechia. The Evening Standard reported that Sanogo was spotted at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Tuesday morning while the squad trained, adding that it was not clear why he was in attendance.

Arsenal Insider described the mood around the session as jovial, with Sanogo's appearance adding to a positive morning that had already brought confirmation of Saliba's comeback.

Sanogo's place in Arsenal history

Sanogo joined Arsenal from Auxerre in 2013 and stayed until 2017, a spell in which he became something of a cult figure among supporters despite limited opportunities. He was sent on as a substitute in the 2014 FA Cup final, when Arsenal recovered from two goals down to beat Hull City and claim a first trophy in nine years.

His standout individual display came at the 2014 Emirates Cup, where he found the net four times against Benfica. According to the Evening Standard, he scored his sole competitive goal for the club during a 2-0 Champions League group-stage victory against Borussia Dortmund in November 2014.

The Standard also carried recollections from Sanogo about the phone call from Arsene Wenger that took him to north London, given in an interview with Masterclass media. Recalling his disbelief at the approach, he said: "I thought it was a joke." He described being contacted after a week in which he had scored seven goals.

After leaving Arsenal, Sanogo had spells with Armenia’s FC Urartu and China’s Qingdao Red Lions prior to signing for Brazil’s Amazonas FC. Arsenal Insider reports that he has been without a club since leaving the Brazilian side in July 2025, though he has not formally retired. The Standard lists him as 33.

Saliba back with the group

Arsenal Insider reports that the defender is now in contention to feature in Prague, with Arteta due to provide an update at his pre-match press conference this evening.

Football.London reported that Saliba could make his long-awaited return this week after rejoining full training, and noted that Arteta was without one player for the session.

Prague up next

Arsenal's meeting with Slavia Prague kicks off at 20:00 UK time on Wednesday at Fortuna Arena. The squad travelled into the week in good spirits after ending a long wait for a win at Anfield, a result Arsenal Insider describes as the club's first there in 14 years.

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