Arsenal’s most expensive signing Nicolas Pepe has now been at the club for two and a half seasons. After a very slow start and a first season that saw him score just 5 goals, compared to 22 in Ligue 1 the previous year, he did improve towards the end of last season and a late surge saw him reach 10 League goals in the end.
On the strength of that, I guess, he played in five games up until the beginning of October without scoring at all, and was only seen against Leeds and Crystal Palace during October…
But since then he has spent his life on the bench, and has even been overlooked as a sub when we have needed goals. The Ivory Coast international has been an unused sub in the last 5 outings, and even Eddie Nketiah was used ahead of him at Everton, despite the youngster set to leave for free in the summer. When asked why he didn’t bring on Pepe, Arteta said it was “Because I decided to play Eddie today. To bring him on. He created three chances and hit the post once in 25 minutes I think.”
But that reply simply shows that Arteta doesn’t trust Pepe when we are in need of goals, then why is the Frenchman even still at the club?
I am beginning to think that Pepe is yet another one that Arteta has decided to leave in the wilderness until he is forced to find another club.
Can we expect to try and recoup some of our losses on Pepe in January?
Maybe Arteta and Edu can come up with another young gem to take his place?