Nicolas Pepe makes unexpected statement when questioned about his experience with Arsenal
Nicolas Pepe claims to have had “some very good experiences” despite his club-record transfer to Arsenal falling through.
The Ivorian made a £72 million transfer to the Emirates in 2019 after an impressive tenure with Lille.
Pepe had excelled in Ligue 1 but was unable to replicate that success in north London, eventually falling down the pecking order as he failed to justify his astronomical transfer fee.
Throughout his time in London, Pepe rotated in and out of the starting lineup, displaying flashes of his talent but never establishing himself as a key asset.
This summer, Arsenal loaned the 27-year-old to Nice, but Pepe has fond memories of his underwhelming time there.
He told RMC Sport: “My time in England allowed me to evolve. I got older, I had children so I matured a lot. I have had some very good experiences as well as some less good ones. It forged my mind and it serves me today!”
Pepe has scored six goals in Ligue 1, more than any other Nice player, as he continues to play a significant amount of minutes.
The wide positions in Arsenal’s front three this season are occupied by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, two extremely influential players.
Mikel Arteta, who has orchestrated Arsenal’s ascent to the top of the league, acknowledges that Pepe struggled to deal with the pressure that accompanied his record-breaking transfer, but he had to make a decision based on who he believed would play this season and deemed the Ivorian surplus.
He said previously: “I think Nico has tried to deal with that [the price tag] in the best possible way, he is not responsible for the price a club pays for him. He has tried everything, his attitude and the way he is, is just phenomenal. You just have to meet the person because you just love him for the way he is.
“But then in terms of the decision you have to make on the pitch, who do you select, we made other decisions and obviously that has had an impact on the chances he had to prove his quality. It’s been three years and he had some very good moments, some others where he hasn’t really contributed much in terms of minutes. We decided for every party it was the best decision to allow him to go.”
After his loan expires, Pepe’s future beyond this season remains uncertain. The fact that Arteta is unlikely to bring the player back into the fold could make it difficult to find a buyer for the player, as Arsenal will be averse to incurring a significant loss.
Nicolas Pepe makes unexpected statement when questioned about his experience with Arsenal
