Nicolas Pepe, once a promising talent, is now without a club just five years after his £72 million ($93.4 million) move to Arsenal from Lille.
The 29-year-old winger, who dazzled at Lille with 37 goals in 80 games, failed to replicate his form at the Emirates.
In 2019, Arsenal spent a huge amount to bring Pepe to the Premier League. Despite a decent 2020/21 season, where he scored 16 goals, Pepe struggled to meet expectations.
Four years after joining, Arsenal let him go for free. He then moved to Trabzonspor in Turkey but is now a free agent again, less than a year later.
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Pepe recently revealed the intense criticism he faced at Arsenal nearly pushed him to retire. Speaking to French publication L'Equipe, Pepe described the negativity he encountered as bordering on bullying.
People don’t realise how it can affect you mentally, your family, your performances. I suffered a kind of trauma at Arsenal… like my passion was taken from me.
Critics even labelled him the biggest flop in Premier League history, a title Pepe feels is unjust.
Nicolas Pepe Arsenal career, stats
During his time at Arsenal, Pepe made 112 appearances and contributed to 48 goals.
While these numbers show he had some impact, they were not enough to justify his hefty price tag.
Arsenal had hoped for a long-term star on the wing, but after three seasons, Pepe was loaned out to Nice and eventually left on a free transfer.
