When Arsenal broke the bank to sign Nicolas Pepe for a reported $88 million from Lille in 2019, it was a record transfer for the club. At the time, the winger was seen as one of Europe’s brightest young talents. However, despite a promising start, his form quickly dipped, and his time at the Premier League club ended in disappointment. Now at Villarreal, Pepe has opened up about the challenges that led to his struggles at Arsenal.
After an outstanding 2018-19 Ligue 1 season, where Pepe scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 38 appearances, Unai Emery brought the winger to the Premier League with high expectations. However, Pepe admits that his hefty price tag, combined with the abrupt dismissal of Emery, played a significant role in his difficulties adapting to life at Arsenal.
“When a club pays that much for you, the little details don’t matter. I was young; it was the first time I had left France to play abroad. I had to adapt in lots of ways, but people don’t see that. They only see what happens on the pitch. Automatically, the first player to be criticized is the one that cost a lot of money. You have to be getting goals and assists. People expected 30, 35, 40 goals a season. But it was only Messi and Ronaldo who did that,” Pepe told The Athletic.
Despite making an impact in his early months, contributing 3 goals and 3 assists in 16 matches under Emery, Arsenal’s disappointing results led to the coach’s sacking, and Mikel Arteta was brought in as his replacement. That’s when Pepe’s role began to diminish.
“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,” admitted the 29-year-old.
Pepe also discussed how online criticism began to affect his mindset and on-pitch performances: “I saw a lot of nasty comments. When you see what people think of you, it affects you and your family, whether you like it or not. I’m a player who takes risks. But when you have all that in your head, you try not to be too daring… I have a lot of character and a lot of pride. But sometimes it’s difficult. You get the ball and you pass it backwards because you’ve already had to withstand so much criticism.”
Although Arsenal’s offer was hard to refuse, Pepe admitted that the main reason he chose the Gunners over other suitors was his relationship with Unai Emery. A call with the former Arsenal manager sealed the deal, even over interest from Carlo Ancelotti.
“I had a call with Carlo Ancelotti, who was Napoli coach at the time. It lasted five minutes. Half an hour later, I received another call, this time from Unai Emery. It lasted an hour,” Pepe admitted. “He spoke about tactics, what he wanted from me, where he was going to play me, how I could expect to improve under him. Loads of detail. And although he’s not a great French speaker, he spoke to me in French for a whole hour. I felt his desire to work with me,” he said.
Pepe’s Arsenal career was marked by inconsistency. In 112 appearances in the Premier League, he scored 27 goals and provided 21 assists. His time at Arsenal included a loan spell at Nice before his contract ended in June 2023, after which he joined Turkish side Trabzonspor.
Despite not being responsible for the club’s hefty investment, Pepe acknowledges the burden that came with his price tag. As he reflects on his career, it’s clear that the pressure of being Arsenal’s record signing was a heavy weight to carry. However, now at Villarreal, he seems to have found a more comfortable environment, one where he can thrive without the same intense scrutiny.
