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Home > Arsenal > 27-year-old Arsenal Reject Linked With Ligue 1 Loan; Could Arsenal Make a Move For Neto/Yeremy Pino Now

27-year-old Arsenal Reject Linked With Ligue 1 Loan; Could Arsenal Make a Move For Neto/Yeremy Pino Now

Nicolas Pepe, fans, Arsenal

Ligue 1 outfit Nice are reportedly interested in taking Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe on loan this summer.

Nicolas Pepe has not lived up to his enormous £72 million price tag which Arsenal paid to LOSC Lille three years ago to obtain his services. Nevertheless, he has still managed 48-goal contributions in 112 appearances (stats via transfermarkt).

The Ivory Coast international started only five of his 20 Premier League appearances last season and contributed to just one goal and two assists in the top flight. Pepe, who still has two years remaining on his contract at the Emirates, was an unused substitute in both of Arsenal’s opening two Premier League victories over Crystal Palace and Leicester City.

Nicolas Pepe playing at Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe, Nice
Image Obtained Via Talksport

Player Career

With Nicolas Pepe notching up 22 goals in 38 league games during his last season at Lille (stats via transfermarkt), there was certainly a lot of excitement when he signed for Arsenal. Only Kylian Mbappe scored more than the Ivorian in Ligue 1 that season. Even more impressive was that the 27-year-old stood second in the assists table in that 2018-19 season.

Being able to rank so highly in both areas shows his special capability of scoring and creating simultaneously, perhaps reminding many Gunners of Dennis Bergkamp in that regard. But in his first 18 months at the Emirates, Pepe averaged just 0.8 shots on target per 90 minutes in the Premier League games, exactly half of the 1.6 shots he registered on target per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 (as per JustArsenal.com).

The Ivorian arrived at Arsenal solely as a right-sided forward who liked to roam away from the touchline and drift into spaces between the lines or in behind the defence. But it looked like he needed to upgrade his game to PL standards. He has also been occasionally used on the left side of their attack.

Pepe shows flashes of brilliance, particularly in terms of close control to beat an opponent, but he needs to become more consistent with his dribbling. He has the ability to beat defenders, but struggles when he is closed down quickly, especially by opponents who take a physical approach.

Many fans are judging Nicolas Pepe mainly because of the £72m price tag that accompanies him. It’s almost inevitable that the fans’ expectations were going to be unrealistically high, but it’s hard to dispute that the winger himself has found it difficult to replicate his Lille form at Arsenal.

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Verdict

Nicolas Pepe could consider a move to another Premier League club, with Newcastle United reportedly keeping an eye on the developments at Arsenal concerning the winger. He has a contract with the Gunners until 2024. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is credited with improving several young players, but Pepe doesn’t fall in that bracket.

With the emergence of Bukayo Saka, Pepe’s game time on the right has become increasingly limited. And now with Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli delivering goals from the left, it’s hard to see how the 27-year-old forward can get into the first XI unless there is an injury.

A move to France would give him the required platform to sparkle – to reinvent his career. Pepe remains an immensely gifted player who hasn’t had the environment that he needed to truly flourish. The systems that have been employed didn’t always suit his game and neither has the change in personnel helped his cause.

Finally, the Ivory Coast international didn’t choose the price that Arsenal paid for him, so why keep beating him with it? Nicolas Pepe, at his best, is clearly worth a whole lot more than what he has displayed at Arsenal. The Gunners smashed their club-record transfer fee to get him for a reason. But the Emirates is currently not the right place for him and he needs a change in scenery.

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