Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe, who is currently without a football club, revealed how he almost considered retiring from football under Mikel Arteta.
In an interview with L’Equipe, the winger said, “It was almost harassment. I don’t look at social media much, but if my brother told me this is what they said about you, it would affect me unconsciously.”
“It also came from the media or from certain members of the club. They don’t realize that it can affect the mental state of the family and their performance. The only people who have always supported me are the Arsenal fans.”
“At Arsenal, I suffered a kind of trauma, as if my passion had been ripped away from me. I had a disgust for football. I doubted myself to the point that I thought about quitting everything.”
In addition, he said “I wondered how they could have been so relentless in their attacks on me. They even called me the biggest flop in the history of the Premier League. But I refused to mope.”
The Ivorian joined Arsenal from LOSC Lille for a record fee worth £72 million in 2019. The Gunners were prompted to make a big money move after the winger scored 23 goals in 41 appearances for LOSC Lille in a season.
Under Unai Emery, the winger scored eight goals and created 10 assists in 41 appearances.
Pepe, who is currently 29 years old, scored 27 goals in 112 appearances for the Gunners. The player’s contract with Arsenal was terminated last summer.
There are reports that revealed Arsenal scrutinized their decision related to the £72 million paid for his service in 2019.
He left Arsenal football club to move to OGC Nice on loan for the 2022–23 season. Upon the completion of the loan contract with OGC Nice, he proceeded to join Trabsonzpor.
Which team is Nicolas Pepe playing for now?
He is currently without a football club after he left Trabsonzpor in 2024.
What is the market value of Nicolas Pepe?
The Winger has a market value of €8.5 million. According to market value, he is the 20th most expensive player in the Ivory Coast national team squad.
Nicolas Pepe Stats
The winger made 323 appearances, scoring 92 goals and creating 47 assists in all club competitions. He had received 22 yellow cards and one red card so far in his career.
Out of the 92 goals scored, 27 were for Arsenal, 37 for LOSC Lille, six for Angers SCO, eight for US Orleans, eight for OGC Nice, and six for Trabsonzpor.
He made his international debut for the Ivory Coast national team on November 15, 2016. Nicolas scored 10 goals in 46 appearances for the country.
Nicolas Pepe’s net worth
It was revealed that the Ivorian winger has a net worth of $30 million.
Nicolas Pepe Achievements
The Ivorian winger won the 2024 African Nations Cup with the Ivory Coast national team. Also, he won the FA Cup and the Community Shield with Arsenal Football Club.
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