Former Arsenal player Nicolas Pepe has recently claimed some huge statements which shook the fanbase. The Ivorian was signed by the Gunners back in the summer of 2019. He left the French side Lille to join the Premier League for a whooping deal worth of £72 million. That easily made him the most expensive Arsenal player at that time.
Pepe who was 24 at that time, was considered one of the upcoming stars in world football. Just before joining the Gunners, he had an outrageous season with Lille scoring 22 goals and registering 11 assists in the Ligue 1.
But since joining the Gunners camp he had struggled to find his touch. Pepe failed to live up to the expectations of Mikel Arteta and eventually lost his trust. Time by time he even lost his place in the starting xi. Pepe left North London on a free transfer in 2023. He joined Ligue 1 side Nice, after scoring 27 goals in 119 appearances with the Gunners.
Nicolas Pepe blames Mikel Arteta for ruining his career
When Nicolas Pepe was asked about his time at Arsenal, he claimed that it was difficult for him under Mikel Arteta. While speaking to Athletic Pepe said,
“With Arteta, it wasn’t… well, it was good at the start, After that, the confidence wasn’t really there. I got less and less game time, so there was some frustration. I’m not someone who likes being on the bench every week without justification or explanation. So yeah, that’s something that created some tension.”
Since leaving Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe is looking for opportunities to prove himself at the big stage. Now at the age of 29, he is playing with Spanish side Villareal. Pepe is trying his best in Spain to overcome his bad times. We will be hoping to see him back at scoring goals for fun again.
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