A former Arsenal player currently ranks 10th among Europe’s top-performing footballers this season.
The Gunners will face Villarreal on Tuesday in their opening Champions League match of the season, fielding one of their strongest teams in years.
The squad has been strengthened by summer signings such as Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyokeres, along with several midfield and defensive additions, adding to an already talented lineup. Given this, Arsenal supporters are probably not missing—or even thinking about—Nicolas Pepe, who had a difficult spell at the Emirates from 2019 to 2023.
Pepe was signed by Arsenal in 2019 for a then-club-record fee of £72 million, following his impressive 22-goal season with Lille in Ligue 1. However, during his 112 appearances for Arsenal, he struggled to maintain consistent form and eventually left on a free transfer. Reflecting on his time in London, Pepe told L’Equipe: “At Arsenal, I went through a sort of trauma, like my passion for football was taken away. I lost my love for the game.
“Not playing made me question why I was even doing this job. I doubted myself to the point of considering quitting entirely.
“I couldn’t understand why I faced such harsh criticism. People even called me the biggest flop in Premier League history! I never asked for the £80 million spent on me. At that price, people don’t care where you come from—they expect instant success.”
After leaving Arsenal, Pepe spent a season in Turkey with Trabzonspor before moving to Villarreal, where he is now enjoying some of his best performances.
The 30-year-old was named La Liga’s Player of the Month for August after scoring twice and assisting once in his first three games of the season. According to WhoScored, he is currently the 10th highest-rated player across Europe’s top five leagues.
Pepe holds a WhoScored rating of 7.98 this season. The top three rated players so far are Harry Kane (9.53), Lamine Yamal (8.74), and Michael Olise (8.70).
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