When answering who the most talented players he’s ever met are, Arsenal fans might have been surprised to hear Eden Hazard name Gervinho.
Hazard certainly saw the best of several players who went on to represent Arsenal, including an influx of his former Chelsea teammates.
From Petr Cech to Willian, whom Hazard called the fastest player he’s ever seen, the Belgian’s opinion on a handful of players differs from that of Gooners.
The latest to be put under the spotlight by the Premier League icon is Gervinho, who spent time with Hazard at Lille before he made the move to North London.
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Eden Hazard names ex-Arsenal flop Gervinho as one of the best he’s ever played with
Arsene Wenger made some history-altering signings at Arsenal, but not every one of his captures was a hit.
Gervinho was certainly one who failed to have a significant impact at the Emirates after he was signed from Lille for £10m in 2011, later sold for £8m.
The Ivorian spent two years on Arsenal’s books and scored 11 goals, a level that was largely different to what he produced at Lille, where he massively impressed Hazard.
Speaking to RMCSport, Hazard was asked: “The most talented player you’ve ever met, besides yourself?”
The Belgian mentioned some unsurprising figures, including Cesc Fabregas and Kevin De Bruyne, but also found room for Gervinho.
“When I arrived, there was Juan Mata, magnificent left foot. Mata was talented, Gervinho was talented at Lille. There have been a lot of talented players, Cesc Fabregas, De Bruyne.”
For Arsenal fans, seeing Gervinho mentioned in that sentence is mindblowing, but only reinforces how the Gunners failed to truly get the best out of the winger in the Premier League.
Like Gervinho, Nicolas Pepe struggled in the Premier League
Gervinho’s best scoring season in the Premier League was the five goals he scored in the 2012/13 season, netting only four the campaign prior.
Sadly, the trend of wingers arriving from France, specifically Lille, and not performing at Arsenal repeated itself in 2019, when the Gunners signed Nicolas Pepe.
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Just like Gervinho, the season before signing for Arsenal, Pepe thrived in Ligue 1 for Lille, but upon making North London home, he left a lot to be desired.
That being said, I personally think that Pepe’s tenure at Arsenal has been misconstrued, as the reality is, he was on another level to Gervinho.
Whereas Gervinho left Arsenal with 11 goals in two seasons, Pepe found the net 27 times, managing to hit double figures in the Premier League.
The two players’ journeys are comparable nonetheless, both showing off their talent in France before having it reined in in England.
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