Is this the end for Nicolas Pepe
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| Nicolas Pepe had a disappointing performance against Crystal Palace |
Gunners legend Ian Wright was very critical of forward Nicolas Pepe after the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at the Emirates.
He described his performances as ‘very disappointing,’ and Wright had a point, to be honest.
After a difficult start to life in England, the Ivory Coast international finally seemed to be hitting his stride in the Premier League.
However, there’s been another noticeable dip in his performance levels since the start of this season, and he didn’t feature at all in the 3-1 win against Aston Villa.
To make matters worse, Pepe’s value is dropping rapidly, meaning Arsenal must move quickly if they’re going to get any of the £75 million they invested back into the transfer pot.
So, is this the end of the road for the 26-year-old?
Outshone by the youth
Arsenal have found players better, younger, and harder working players in almost every position Pepe can play in.
Bukayo Saka can play on either wing, Emile Smith Rowe can place across the attacking three behind the striker, and Martin Ødegaard offers something completely different from central and wide positions.
The increase in competition on both wings and at CAM has seen Pepe dropped for several key games this season.
He’s failed to score in his six appearances and has recorded just one assist.
These stats are particularly disappointing after last year’s return of ten goals and one assist in 29 appearances.
If Arsenal’s academy is producing talents good enough to displace Pepe, why shouldn’t the club jump at the opportunity to sell the winger and reinvest the funds elsewhere in the squad?
Can Arsenal get their money back?
According to transfermarket.co.uk, Pepe’s value currently stands at £31.5 million, that’s a significant drop off from what Arsenal paid for the winger, but it’s still a lot of money.
If Arsenal were able to negotiate effectively, it’s very like that we could get even more.
Arsenal may not be able to get the full £75 million back, but we could get half.
Considering how weak Arsenal’s strength in depth is, that money could be essential in a squad rebuild in January or over the summer.
Who could replace him?
In terms of replacements, Arsenal have a plethora of options.
Firstly, we could make one final attempt to sign Wilfried Zaha, who is having another impressive season at Crystal Palace.
Since being overtaken as the biggest one-man team in the league by Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United, Palace fans seem a lot more comfortable with the prospect of Zaha leaving.
He is still in his prime and could offer a few years of top-quality entertainment if the Pepe money were used to sign him.
A younger option would be Leeds United Raphinha.
The 24-year-old has made a superb start to life in Marcelo Bielsa’s starting 11 and is now the target of several of Europe’s top clubs.
Conclusion
To be frank, it’s time for Arsenal to give up on project Pepe.
The winger has shone in moments, but with such an abundance of young attacking talent coming through at the Emirates, there is no longer a spot for him on the team.
If the Gunners are going to get any of their money back, they’re going to need to sell Pepe quickly.
If he spends too much time sitting on the bench, it’s possible we could end up with yet another big-name player that we cannot sell.
Having experienced that with Mesut Özil, Arsenal must avoid falling into the same trap yet again.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
