29 January 2023 , 00:43
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Nicolas Pepe claims he had "some very good experiences" despite his club-record move to Arsenal failing to go as planned.
The Ivorian made a £72m switch to the Emirates back in 2019 following an impressive spell with Lille. Pepe had been prolific in Ligue 1 but was unable to replicate that form in north London, eventually falling down the pecking order as he failed to justify his mammoth fee.
Pepe was in and out of the starting XI throughout his time in London, showing glimpses of his talent, but by no means establishing himself as a key asset. Arsenal opted to send the 27-year-old to Nice on loan this summer, but Pepe has spoken fondly about his underwhelming spell.
He told RMC Sport: “My time in England allowed me to evolve. I got older, I had children so I matured a lot. I have had some very good experiences as well as some less good ones. It forged my mind and it serves me today!”
Pepe has scored six times in Ligue 1 - more than any other Nice player - as he continues to enjoy regular minutes. Arsenal's front three this season has been set with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli occupying the wide berths with the pair hugely influential.
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Mikel Arteta, who has masterminded Arsenal's rise to the top of the league, admits Pepe did struggle to deal with the pressure that came with his record move but had to make a decision based on who he felt would feature this season, which saw the Ivorian deemed surplus.
Nicolas Pepe has headed to Nice as he looks to rediscover his best form (AFP via Getty Images)He said previously: “I think Nico has tried to deal with that [the price tag] in the best possible way, he is not responsible for the price a club pays for him. He has tried everything, his attitude and the way he is, is just phenomenal. You just have to meet the person because you just love him for the way he is.
“But then in terms of the decision you have to make on the pitch, who do you select, we made other decisions and obviously that has had an impact on the chances he had to prove his quality. It’s been three years and he had some very good moments, some others where he hasn’t really contributed much in terms of minutes. We decided for every party it was the best decision to allow him to go."
Pepe's future beyond this season remains unclear once his loan expires. Arsenal will be determined not to make a huge loss on the player, which could make it difficult to find a buyer with Arteta unlikely to bring him back into the fold.