Nicolas Pepe has come to terms with his Arsenal exit and the price tag that warped perceptions around his performances, but admits “it wasn’t easy”.
When people mention the Ivory Coast international, now 29, the then club-record £72m fee to sign the winger from Lille soon follows.
And it is a number, Pepe admits, he struggled to handle.
“It wasn’t easy at all. And the fans weren’t happy with how I was performing,” he told BBC Sport.
“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.”
Arsenal signed Pepe in 2019 after a sensational season with Lille, during which he scored 23 goals and managed 12 assists, but he never approached the same strike rate in England.
He played his last game for Arsenal in 2022 and, after a season-long loan at Nice, is now without a club after leaving Turkish side Trabzonspor in the summer, having only joined them on a free transfer from Arsenal last September.
‘If Arsenal bought me for £20m maybe it’d be different’
It had been Pepe’s childhood dream to join Arsenal having been gifted a Thierry Henry shirt by his brother.
He still managed 24 goals and 15 assists in 91 matches during his first two seasons in English football, which he believes shows that he is only labelled a ‘flop’ because of the 2019 fee.
“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.”
‘Arteta didn’t have full confidence in me’
Despite his disappointing time at Emirates Stadium, Pepe says he is grateful for how his 2023 exit was handled in north London and that he still “respects” manager Mikel Arteta.
“They helped me when leaving, which wasn’t easy because I was injured, so my recovery wasn’t easy… they helped me find a club quickly,” he explained. “So, I definitely left the club on good terms.
“I have always had a great relationship with Arteta. It’s just that he didn’t have full confidence in me, which is a shame.
“He put together a winning team, and sadly, I wasn’t in that player turnover. But he’s someone I respect, and I know he respects me too. And I wish him all the best.”
Pepe now feels the difficult time will make him mentally stronger.
“With the pressure I went through at Arsenal, I’m in a pretty good headspace now,” he said.
“It’s something I no longer pay attention to because when you get a lot of criticism, you develop thick skin. So, now I’m prepared for any eventuality. I feel like I’m in a great headspace.”
‘I’m not ruling out a return to England’
But getting himself right physically, as he goes on to explain, is important after his spells at Nice and Trabzonspor were hit by injury.
“It’s been two years since I’ve done pre-season. And I feel great when I start pre-season. I’m physically in good form, I need it to get back to being the fast player I used to be.”
Pepe seemed in a hopeful mood after a meeting at his agency about his next move. He hopes that he will soon be able to deliver news about his next club and isn’t ruling out a return to English football to take on the critics head on.
“I definitely learnt a lot,” he said. “Yes, of course, I’m the same player. I’m just getting older, which is normal, but I’m still the same player.
“I can definitely replicate my past performances. I just need to play based on my physical condition, the confidence of the club and love from the fans. So, it involves all of that.
“When we see a player playing well and scoring loads of goals, it’s because he has all those things around him: a supportive coach, club, and adoring fans. So, I think that’s essential for a player to play well.”
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.”