Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expects Nicolas Pepe to stay at the Emirates for many years to come and prove his worth to the Gunners.
The club’s record signing has not featured prominently in the opening few games of the season, but speaking at his pre-match press conference yesterday, Arteta backed the Ivorian international to be a success:
“He’s very settled here, he’s liked by the boys, he’s a really good character to have around and I’m really positive that we’re going to have him for many years and that he can perform at a really high level consistently.”
Pepe has yet to justify the £72m that Arsenal shelled out on him last summer and supporters on Twitter are not yet convinced that the 24-year-old will come good in the long term:
He's not cutting it yet
— TopGun Maverick ?? (@krish__kr7) September 24, 2020
No signs of a player worth £60m+ let alone £72m; but there is a potential for a player that is worth that much. It’s weird as he’s so close to being a world class it’s frustrating it’s a tangible goal he just needs to realise it
— BLACK LIVES (still) MATTER???? (@thatbwoyChaka) September 24, 2020
Flopped
— NARA (@nara1000) September 24, 2020
Flop. Won't make it.
— J. ?☠️ (@Gubrach) September 24, 2020
He's not worth £72m. No wonder Raul lost his job. We've been scammed.
— Obi-Wan Kenobi (Not) (@obi1canob) September 24, 2020
He is a good player in his own right but he can't create any spark that we've not seen before. If i want to be real with myself 72million we paid for him is a reap off.
— Haizyls (@haizylsclothing) September 24, 2020
Biggest fraud
— Williams Taiwo (@WilliamsTaiwo19) September 24, 2020
Pepe needs space, he’s special when running and the ball is passed ahead of him to his feet. This is a case where we need to play to his skills, imagine him cutting in from the right like auba from the left. He can hit that shot ?
— Colorbland (@GrownInTacoma) September 24, 2020
The pressure is on him to perform now. We were patient during his bedding in period. In all fairness though,he needs quality behind him.Can’t do it all on his https://t.co/BrUztmH0VT the dancing feet?
— GroundhogGuns (@sirrrmixalot) September 24, 2020
That’s the main concern – huge price for a one-footed player. Hope he comes good though!
— Alex Palmer (@AlexPalmerama) September 24, 2020
There are certain aspects to Pepe’s game that do raise alarm bells. He is very one-footed, and that makes him a very predictable player to mark. He will generally cut in onto his left in order to shoot or cross the ball.
With the likes of Willian in the squad, Pepe’s limitations come into sharp focus, with the summer signing from Chelsea comfortable in whatever position he finds himself in.
