Pepe: Arsenal exit ´wasn´t easy´ as performances judged on £72m pricetag

Nicolas Pepe admits it “wasn’t easy” to come to terms with leaving Arsenal, believing many judged his performances in the Premier League on his £72million price tag.

Pepe, who joined Arsenal from Lille in 2019, completed a permanent switch to Turkish side Trabzonspor last year, leaving the Emirates on a free transfer.

The Ivorian’s arrival in North London came with great expectations, having become the club’s most expensive signing, surpassing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s £56m move from Borussia Dortmund.

That has since been eclipsed by Declan Rice’s £100m move from West Ham last year, but the England midfielder flourished in his first season with the Gunners.

Pepe made 112 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 27 goals and adding 21 assists during his four-year stay in the Premier League.

“It wasn’t easy at all. And the fans weren’t happy with how I was performing,” Pepe told BBC Sport about his struggles.

“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. But my transfer fee to the club was the highest one they’d signed, so they expected me to score in each match.”

The Premier League has seen an influx of inflated fees in recent years, with an estimated £1.5billion spent on player transfers during the 2023-24 season.

Pepe was keen to stress the fees paid by Premier League clubs are nothing to do with the players.

“If Arsenal bought me for £20m, maybe it’d be different,” he said. “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.”

Mikel Arteta’s side are currently in the United States for pre-season as they aim to halt Manchester City’s reign as Premier League champions next season.

Arsenal finished second behind City last term, accumulating 89 points, their highest total since their last triumph in the competition during the 2003-04 campaign.