David Seaman has claimed that Nicolas Pepe could still have a future at Arsenal after his loan move, praising how William Saliba has done since his time away.
The Gunners splashed out a club record fee to land the Ivory Coast international from Lille back in 2019, but he has struggled to find his feet in England.
With others flourishing in vying for hos preferred right-wing role, with Bukayo Saka currently the clear first-choice out wide, he has since been allowed to leave and join Nice on loan.
Whilst you could be forgiven for believing his time at the Emirates would now be over, Seaman isn’t so certain.
“Yes [the loanees have a future] because they should come back as better players because they’re playing more,” Seaman told the Daily Express (via Football365).
“Now they’ve got a chance to play somewhere else. Just look at the Saliba situation and how it helped him.
“Someone like Pepe, who came in with a massive [£72million] price tag and didn’t get firing on all cylinders. You can see that there is a great player in there but Arsenal need him to be a bit more consistent.
“For the others it’s a chance of getting game time, more experience and more confidence. They should use the loan spells as a purpose for getting back to their main club with more power to demand that they get in the first team.”
It will be interesting to see if Pepe can return to his best this term, but I struggle to believe that he will show enough to be considered for another season in our squad for next season.
Does anyone hope or expect Pepe to get another chance with us after his loan spell?
Patrick
Nicolas Pepe having having a future at the Club under Arteta? I would be better off placing a bet on Prince Harry becoming the next king of England.
I really wish we kept him and gave him a chance this season. The way he’s being treated ain’t right and he said he’s willing to fight
Another deluded fan
Yeah deluded coz the man was sent off and we’re crying for depth. Sorry for not kneeling at the feet off the coach like you seem to be
Look at it this way: Saka has his position. Pepe will get very little game-time barring injury. Marquinhos has been great and is ahead of him. His confidence is shot. He had trouble acclimatising to the country and language as well as the team’s style, and he’s never get over it. His price tag has hung around his neck like a lead weight. His best football was in France. He needs to play to both regain that confidence and put himself in the shop window for a good move. Blame who you like for the past but if you think he will get any football by staying then you are mistaken. And Pepe agrees so I am not sure what your issue is.
I’m sure if the coach put an arm around him he’d play in the cups. We have 9 fixtures in October. You think he wouldn’t get game time? Marquinhos was not meant to play Edu said it himself.. He was for the future. It just so happened Reiss got injured. Our depth is shot and Saka can’t play every game and what if he were to get injured.. You trust Marquinhos or reiss to start away at Anfield? As poor as Pepe has been i still think he could have offered sth as Saka can’t play every game
Pepe does not fit in current Arsenal’s style of playing. It is good for him and club that he plays away from club. It is not Pepe’s problem neither is it Arteta’s. There are people who just love blaming and would want to load it on the coach or the player. The type that wanted Shaka out of Arsenal and now he is the epitome of what yearn for at the club.