Arsenal’s record purchase Nicolas Pepe has thrown doubts over his future at the club. The attacker, who joined from Lille for 80 million euros, has failed to replicate the form he showed at Lille, and has lost his starting spot in Mikel Arteta’s first-squad.
After failing to replicate the form that compelled the Gunners to break the bank for him in 2019, the Ivorian lost his place in the first-eleven to academy graduate Bukayo Saka, meaning his stint has been, lately, reduced to sporadic appearances from the bench or the odd start in cup competitions.
Speaking to the media, Pepe claimed that he is focused on helping the club finish the season strongly – the Gunners are involved in the race to finish in the top four as it stands – but is unsure what happens afterward.
“I am focused on how well we do until the end of the season and the club’s target, which is getting into the Champions League. Then we will see what happens.”
he said.
The player also spoke of his frustrations this season, having to sit on the bench for most league games while Arteta stuck with his preferred attacking quartet. However, he also claimed that, despite the lack of game time, he respects the coach’s decision.
“When a team is winning it is hard for a coach to make changes. Mikel has explained that to me and I know I have to work hard in training to get more playing time,”
“The coach knows what I think and how hard I am working. It is also about communication. Sometimes it is not easy to communicate with the language barrier.
“It has been a tough season for me.”
he continued.
Since joining the club in August 2019, Pepe has scored just 27 goals in 107 appearances across all competitions, the bulk of which came in the 2020/21 season. He has just 15 Premier League starts to his name this season and a solitary goal, which came in Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat over Wolverhampton Wanderers in January.
