New Arsenal Signings Are Pushing Nicolas Pepe Towards The Exit!!
Nicolas Pepe’s disastrous spell with the Gunners seems to be at an end finally. As per the reports, the English club has informed the Ivorian winger that he is no longer part of their plan. Evidently, Pépé had it long coming, following his subpar performance with the London club.
The Gunners lured the Ivorian winger with a whopping signing amount of 80 million euros back in 2019. But, since he arrived at Arsenal, Pepe has rarely shown the talent he was known for and for which the Gunners were ready to shell out the Astronomical sum.
New Arsenal Signings Are Hurting Nicolas Pepe To The Most
Arsenal has a frill of new signings this season, and they all seem to pay off well. Arsenal had a tremendous season start, and Mikel Arteta’s side is looking afresh with new vigor.
The Gunners decimated Bournemouth 3-0 past Saturday, and their performance under Mikel Arteta has undoubtedly caught the eye. The arrival of Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Zinchenko, and Matt Turner at Arsenal seems to benefit the team.
Manchester City’s £45m summer signing, Gabriel Jesus, put up a splendid display and had been the team’s top scorer. Likewise, Oleksandr Zinchenko and William Saliba have also capped off brilliant performances so far.
Consequently, Arsenal has registered three wins so far and has defeated the likes of Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Leicester City. Their recent performance has allowed them an early lead in the league, and given the team’s form, it won’t be surprising if they end up at the top of the league this season.
However, the new arrivals at Arsenal have also pushed a few players back. Pépé is the number one unwanted player in the Arsenal squad, and given the reports, he will soon be making his Exit from the Club, either on loan to Ligue 1 side or on a permanent transfer to Leicester.
However, the move won’t come as a surprise, and the fans will certainly wish him to move anywhere away from Arsenal. The past three years for Pépé at Arsenal were a disaster, as the winger failed to display his talent and appeared just a shadow of his former self.
Nicolas Pepe‘s Decline At Arsenal
Pépé arrived at Arsenal in 2019 for a considerable sum of €80 million, primarily due to his brilliant run at the French Club Lille. However, Pépé’s performance at Arsenal was far from convincing, making the Gunners impatient. They no longer want to wait to witness the flamboyant player that the Ivorian winger was at Lile.
With only three goals and five assists in 20 appearances this season, Arsenal is now determined to let go of the player that is costing them €7.8m a month.
At Lile, Pépé was a completely different player. Pépé finished the 18/19 season with a brilliant 22 goals and 17 assists in 38 league games. In total, Pépé participated in 107 games for the French Club and was able to bag 38 goals and 17 assists. This performance convinced Arsenal to include him in their squad, even if it cost them a whopping €80 million.
In his three years run at Arsenal, Pépé made 112 appearances; however, Ivorian International only found the target 27 times while assisting 21 other efforts from other players around him. Given the whooping amount, it was fair to expect more from the winger, but Pépé failed to match the expectations.
Pépé soon slipped down the order, given his lackluster performance, and others such as Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli rose top. His starting number plummeted from 22 in 2019 -20 to 16 the following year to just five in the 2020-21 season.
Why is Arsenal Taking a Decision Like This?
While it’s not right to judge a player by his price, when you spend €80 million, you expect consistency and results. Pépé’s performance can be average, and in some instances, he proved his worth – like the 2020 FA Cup, where his performance led Arsenal to win the trophy.
But with a considerable sum, you expect the player to deliver every time he is on the ground, which Pépé was unable to do.
Pépé moved to Arsenal with much pomp and expectations. However, he couldn’t repeat his brilliant run at the English club. The Arsenal’s think tank assumed they had acquired one of the most talented players in the world with still plenty of potential to unleash.
He was offered every opportunity to return to his former glory, but he couldn’t grab them. And now Gunners have decided they can do without Pépé, especially when his inconsistent form shows no improvement.
