Arsenal paid Lille £72 million last summer for the services of Nicolas Pepe but the Ivorian has turned out to be a major flop at the Emirates.
Everyone expected the winger to make a massive impact in England but the 24-year-old has been nowhere close to the form he had shown in the French top division last season.
And according to former Gunners man, Jeremie Aliadiere, while Nicolas Pepe does have talent, it’s the Arsenal management who made the mistake of paying such a steep transfer fee.
“I saw what he did with Lille last season and he is an amazing player,” Aliadiere told Goal. “So, I’m not denying his talent. What I’m seeing, though, is the most expensive player in Arsenal’s history and even if you don’t want to think about the money, the fact is that money is, unfortunately, a big thing in football.
“And when you spend that much money on a player, you expect more goals and you expect more assists. If you look at his stats, I would say he has had an alright season.
“Now, obviously it is not easy, as I know having been there, but the thing that has disappointed me a tiny bit is his decision-making during games.
“For a player who cost £72m, it’s the simple parts of the game that sometimes I see him lacking. And that’s what I pick on a bit.
“Yes, he goes on a good dribble and goes through two or three players – that’s amazing. But when you have (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang on your left and all you have to do is pass the ball in the right spot, and instead cut it back at the wrong time, that bothers me. And I’ve seen that quite a lot from him this season.
“Maybe with confidence, with more games, that will improve. But it’s that sort of thing – when he switches off and seems to lack concentration – that gets to me. That is something you can’t really have with top, top players who come for that sort of money. The easy stuff has got to be done properly.”
Will Dembele replace Nicolas Pepe?
Most pundits feel Nicolas Pepe should be given one more season to redeem himself at Arsenal but there’s a buzz that Arteta might already have given up hope on the winger.
This season, Pepe has managed to score just four and assists six goals in 24 Premier League matches which is nothing when compared to his Lille form. And as per some rumours, the Gunners might be looking to bring in Ousmane Dembele as a replacement.
Barcelona have massively dropped their asking price for Dembele and some think, Arteta might ask his board to try and sign the World Cup winner.
Dembele like Nicolas Pepe has been in really poor form ever since he joined Barcelona and this past season, the Frenchman has managed to feature in only five La Liga matches.
But unlike Pepe, his problems are mainly with injuries which can be solved with proper care and treatment.
While it’s highly unlike Arsenal will spend money on yet another right-winger but if Arsenal want to get back into the Champions League asap, the hierarchy, as well as the manager, will need to take some radical decisions.
