Arsenal expert Charles Watts has provided some insight and his opinion on Nicolas Pepe and where it all went wrong for him at the Emirates Stadium following his public criticism of his former club last week.
Pepe looked an exciting signing when he first joined the Gunners back in 2019, but it quickly became apparent that he was struggling to settle and show his best form in the Premier League.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest column for the Daily Briefing, Watts expressed his view that Pepe’s struggles really began once Mikel Arteta took over as manager and started to reshape the side, with the team quite quickly outgrowing the Ivory Coast international.
Pepe is now without a club and Watts admits it’s sad to see him struggling like he has in recent times, with the player clearly lacking confidence after speaking publicly about his difficult time at Arsenal.
Pepe’s Arsenal struggles were overblown, says Watts
Watts is not entirely clear who Pepe was referring to in his interview, but he also suggested that a lot of the criticism that came his way was over the top anyway.
“Nicolas Pepe’s comments were pretty eye opening. They certainly shone a light on the type of pressure and scrutiny that top players have to deal with,” Watts said.
“It was hard not to feel sorry for him when you heard what he had to say. I do think some of the criticism he got was harsh. I said it at the time, he may not have been able to live up to his lofty price tag, but It was laughable for some to describe him as the biggest flop in Premier League history, because there is no way that was true.
“Was he a £72m player? No, and it didn’t take long to work that out after he arrived. But he was still a good player and he showed that during his first two seasons at the club.
“Pepe did some decent things at Arsenal and was very influential in them winning the FA Cup in 2020. It wasn’t his fault that he cost £72m.
“I can’t say that I know what or who he was talking about when he said that certain people in the club didn’t help him amid all the criticism. In terms of what went wrong for him at Arsenal, the team just very quickly outgrew him as Mikel Arteta’s overhaul took shape.
“Pepe just didn’t have the attributes needed to be a success under Arteta. For all his talents going forward, he was pretty one dimensional and his defensive side of the game just wasn’t good enough to live up to Arteta’s demands.
“It’s a real shame to see him without a club now. He’s only 29 and should still be playing. Hopefully he can find somewhere soon and can enjoy a decent end to his career.”