Nicolas Pepe’s time at Arsenal wasn’t great.
After a sensational season in France with Lille, the Gunners decided to smash their transfer record and signed the Ivorian for a whopping £72 million.
Pepe wasn’t awful by any means, but he did not live up to the price tag, and after Unai Emery’s departure, Mikel Arteta didn’t really fancy him.
That led to his eventual departure, and Pepe has now opened up about his relationship with Arteta.
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Nicolas Pepe explains his regret with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal
Nicolas Pepe was a very talented player.
The Ivorian is considered a flop by many people, but when you break down his numbers, he wasn’t a bad player for Arsenal by any means.
Pepe directly contributed to 48 goals in 67 starts for the North Londoners. That’s one goal or assist every 137.5 minutes, which is an excellent return for a wide player.
One of the reasons the winger was pushed out of Arsenal was that Arteta didn’t give him enough opportunities.
Pepe has now revealed his regret about the Gunners’ manager.
He said on Flashscore: “We’ll start with Arteta, who is a coach who asks for certain things.
“Sometimes it was a bit tough for me, where from time to time we didn’t have this communication. And that’s what I regret the most, not having enough communication with him.”
Nicolas Pepe was unlucky at Arsenal
Pepe found himself in the right place but at the wrong time at Arsenal.
Just a few months after his arrival, the manager who signed him was sacked and replaced by someone who never really viewed him as the first choice.
To make things worse, Bukayo Saka, who previously played as a left-back, was given opportunities on the right wing, and he made that position his own.
That left Pepe in a very difficult position at Arsenal, which was unfortunate because he was a good player and his numbers were still good.
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