Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe says his £72million price warped perceptions around his performances for the Gunners.
The Ivory Coast winger, now 29, was a then club-record signing for the North Londoners when he signed for big money from Lille in 2019.
He struggled to regularly impress during his time in North London, often being singled out for his underwhelming performances during a difficult period for the the club.
Overall, he made 112 appearances and scoring 27 goals before leaving in 2023 following a loan spell back in France with Nice.
Pepe is now without a club after leaving Turkish side Trabzonspor for free this summer.
“It wasn’t easy at all. And the fans weren’t happy with how I was performing,” he told BBC Sport when reflecting on his time with Arsenal.
“When I first joined, the fans weren’t really judging my performances, they were judging the price tag. But I think I did some great things while at Arsenal. I don’t regret my time there.
Nicolas Pepe says his £72m price tag warped perceptions around his performances at Arsenal.#BBCFootball #AFC pic.twitter.com/3XJJD3flUU
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 25, 2024
“But my transfer fee to the club was the highest one they’d signed, so they expected me to score in each match.
“If Arsenal bought me for £20m, maybe it’d be different. It’s not the player’s fault.
“They don’t ask for £100m or £90m. But that’s how it is in the football world and it’s something that people can’t understand.
“There are also players like [Mykhailo] Mudryk and Antony who don’t perform at their best all the time, and yet they’re not bad players.”
Pep is on the lookout for a new club and has not ruled out a return to the Premier League as looks to face his critics head on.
He added: “We listen to all offers, and then it’s my representatives who’ll let me know a club’s real intentions, and if it’s not a serious offer, I don’t hear about it.
“Let’s see what happens. But I’m not ruling out a return to England.”
