Addo worked with the 34-year-old during his first stint as Black Stars coach and also handed him a call-up for the international friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda in March following his reappointment as Ghana boss.
However, the former Borussia Dortmund assistant manager has opted to drop Ayew from his squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR).
Addressing journalists at a press conference on Wednesday on his squad selection, Addo said he held a long conversation with on why he has been dropped.
He further explained that although the decision to leave out the Black Stars captain was a difficult one, it was the best for the team.
“I had a long talk with Andre. Personally, I visited him and gave him the reasons why he is not in the squad at the moment. For me, I can say I don’t like to give information out about what we spoke about,” Addo said.
“At the moment, Andre is a living legend of Ghana. It’s unbelievable what he did for the country and it’s the most difficult decision because I like him as a person and also as a player.
“And this is a decision we took, not like he necessarily agreed but I gave him the explanation so I don’t want to take it to another extent and say something for people to write about. I still have big respect for him.”
Ghana currently sit in fourth place in Group I of the CAF World Cup qualifiers, three points behind leaders Comoros and one below Mali.
The Black Stars will face the Eagles in Bamako on June 6 before hosting CAR in Kumasi four days later.