Mikel Arteta has tipped Nicolas Pepe to become a great player at Arsenal after the record signing became an improved player under the Spaniard.
Arsenal signed Pepe from Lille last summer for a record-breaking £72m and he was expected to build on the 23 goals he had scored for the French side in the 2018/19 season.
He, however, struggled for form in his first campaign at the Emirates initially under Unai Emery.
He was a much-improved player under Arteta like much of his teammates and the Spanish manager has hailed him.
Arteta admitted that the transfer fee that Arsenal forked out to sign him has added extra pressure, but people have to understand that he has had to adapt to a new style of play.
He praised his attitude to the game and how he has also developed his game before tipping him to stay at the club for a long time and to make his mark,
He said via Mail Online: ‘I think he’s come a long way. We know what the club paid for him when he joined and that was obviously an extra pressure but he’s a player who’s had to adapt, it’s a different style.
‘He has a really good attitude. We can see he has developed in a lot of phases of his game.
‘He’s very settled here, he’s liked by the boys, he is a really good character to have around and I’m very positive that we’re going to have him for many years and that he can perform at a really high level consistently.’
