Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Mikel Arteta said: "About your question, I'm really surprised by Bernd Leno's comments.
"I don't know if he's talking about the politics when he was starting every match or the politics when he wasn't playing. Really surprised about it."
Speaking to SPORTBILD earlier this week, Leno open up on his Arsenal exit, shockingly accusing Arteta of failing to give him a proper chance at the Emirates.
The German said: "When I realized that it wasn't about performance or quality, I knew that I had to leave Arsenal.
"In preparation, I saw that it is not about performance, but only about politics. It was clear to me: I had to get out of here.
The most important thing for me is to find my rhythm again. Especially after I wasn't actually able to train properly at Arsenal and had no preparation."
Aaron Ramsdale replace Leno as Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper last season with Arteta putting faith in the Englishman despite his occasional blunders.
As for Leno, the German shot-stopper left the Emirates last summer, joining Premier League newcomers Fulham for a fee of just £8 million.
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