December 8th 2024.
In 2019, Nicolas Pepe made headlines as he became Arsenal's record signing. The talented winger caught the attention of several top clubs in Europe after a successful season with Lille, where he scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in the French Ligue 1. With many suitors vying for his signature, it was Arsenal who ultimately secured Pepe's services, breaking their club record by paying a fee of £72 million.
Under the guidance of former manager Unai Emery, Pepe made a promising start at Arsenal. He even made an impact in the North London Derby by providing an assist and later scored two impressive free-kicks in the Europa League to secure a 3-2 win against Vitoria Guimaraes. In an interview with The Athletic, Pepe shared how Emery's detailed vision and desire to work with him convinced him to join Arsenal. He was particularly impressed that Emery spoke to him in French for an entire hour, despite not being fluent in the language.
However, just three months into his Arsenal journey, Emery was sacked and replaced by Mikel Arteta. Pepe continued to perform well under Arteta, scoring in his first win as manager and reaching double figures in the league in his second season. However, things took a turn for the worse as the Ivorian struggled to adapt to Arteta's tactics and found himself on the bench more often than not. This eventually led to Pepe being loaned out to Nice for the following season.
Upon his return to Arsenal in 2023, Pepe's contract was terminated, and he joined Turkish side Trabzonspor on a free transfer. Looking back on his time at Arsenal, Pepe acknowledged that his relationship with Arteta quickly turned sour as he became frustrated with his lack of playing time. He stated that he is not someone who enjoys sitting on the bench without a valid explanation and that this led to tension between him and Arteta.
Despite the challenges he faced at Arsenal, Pepe still has fond memories of his time there. He scored 27 goals and provided 21 assists in 112 appearances, but he also admits that his record transfer fee was a burden. He received harsh criticism, especially from the fans, and felt the pressure to perform at an unrealistic level. Pepe believes that the expectations placed on him were unfair, and he paid the price for being the most expensive signing in Arsenal's history.
In the end, Pepe left Arsenal with good memories but also some regrets. He now plays for Villarreal in Spain and continues to strive for success. Looking back, he acknowledges that his time at Arsenal was a learning experience and that he had to adapt to many changes. He hopes that fans will understand the challenges he faced and not judge him solely based on his price tag. This article was first published on November 25.
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