Manager Mikel Arteta took care of Nicolas Pepe, who was released due to termination of his contract.
In an interview conducted ahead of the match against Everton in the 5th round of the 2023-24 season English Premier League (PL) on the 16th (Korean time), Coach Arteta was asked about Nicolas Pepe leaving for Turkye Trabzonspor, saying, “Of course, these things are not for the players. “It’s a sad moment, not only for him but also for the players who left our team or went on loan, like Rob Holding. There was an emotional connection with them.”온라인바카라
Pepe arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Lille, France, in 2019 with a transfer fee of 80 million euros (approximately 112.6 billion won), Arsenal’s highest ever transfer fee. Arsenal fans had high expectations for Pepe, who recorded 22 goals and 11 assists in the previous season, ranking second in most goals and second in most assists, and was also named in the official Ligue 1 Best Eleven along with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
However, unlike his huge transfer fee, Pepe’s performance was shabby. In his first season, he appeared in 31 league games and only scored 5 goals and 6 assists, and the following season, in the 2020-21 season, he appeared in 29 games and scored 10 goals and 1 assist, but showed a disappointing performance in terms of influence on the game. And although he played in 20 games in the 2021-22 season, Pepe lost his place as young side players such as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli grew, leaving behind a shabby report card of 1 goal and 2 assists.
Pepe, who became a resource outside of his power, once again hit the French stage. Pepe, who went on loan to Nice of France’s Ligue 1 ahead of the 2022-23 season, dreamed of a revival by recording a decent scoring pace in the early stages of the league. However, he suffered a knee injury at the end of the season and finished the season with 6 goals in 19 league games.
Pepe’s position after returning from loan was further narrowed. During Pepe’s absence, Arsenal became a strong team threatening Manchester City in the Premier League and aiming for the title, and Saka, Pepe’s rival, became a top striker in the league. In addition, Arsenal had strong side resources with the signing of existing Martinelli and a decent replacement, Leandro Trossar.
The likely destination for Pepe, who decided to leave the team, was Besiktas in Turkye. ‘L’Equipe’ reported on the 4th, “Arsenal striker Pepe is leaving the team and heading to Besiktas in Turkiye. Pepe is under contract with Arsenal until 2024, but Arsenal are reportedly considering terminating the contract.”
The report continued, “Pepe, who once rejected Besiktas’ offer, eventually accepted the offer. Pepe is undergoing medical tests in Paris before arriving at Besiktas,” effectively announcing that Pepe’s transfer was approaching.
However, the destination was Trabzonspor, not Besiktas. On the 8th, Trabzon posted a photo of Pepe wearing a Trabzonspor uniform on an airplane with the phrase “Pepe wore our club’s uniform” on the official SNS channel. In addition, Arsenal announced on the club’s website on the 10th, “We have agreed to terminate Pepe’s contract. All members of the club thank Pepe for his dedication and wish him well for the future.” Pepe, who joined Arsenal for a huge transfer fee exceeding 100 billion won, left the team without even giving his team a single penny.
Coach Arteta opened up about Pepe, who left the team in disappointment after failing to meet his expectations at all. “I was not involved in the signing process, but what I can say for sure is that he worked really hard and did his best,” Arteta said.
He went on to wish him luck, saying, “I have an emotional attachment to him and have tried to bring out the best in him. There may be many factors, but I hope to do my best and achieve my dreams elsewhere.”