Cote d’Ivoire forward Nicolas Pepe has opened about his tumultuous tenure at Arsenal, highlighting the immense pressure that accompanied his £72 million price tag.
The the 29-year-old winger, now playing for Villarreal in LaLiga, pointed to unrealistic expectations that he claims only football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could fulfill.
The former Lille talisman detailed his complicated relationship with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, citing a lack of communication as a primary source of tension.
The forward expressed frustration over Arteta’s failure to explain his repeated exclusion from the starting lineup, which contributed to his eventual departure from the club on a free transfer in 2023.
“When a club pays that much for you, the little details don’t matter,” Pepe told The Athletic. “I was young; it was the first time I had left France to play abroad. I had to adapt in lots of ways, but people don’t see that. They only see what happens on the pitch.
“Automatically, the first player to be criticised is the one that cost a lot of money. You have to be getting goals and assists, goals and assists. People expected 30, 35, 40 goals a season. But it was only Messi and Ronaldo who did that.
“Arsenal spent a lot of money on me and I paid the price for it.”
His current spell at Villarreal has seen him net just once in 11 appearances, marking a continued struggle to recapture the form that prompted Arsenal’s substantial investment during his time at Lille.
