Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta delivers his verdict on how to unleash Nicolas Pepe
As quoted by Sky Sports, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has delivered his verdict on how to get the best out of Nicolas Pepe.
What did he say?
The Ivory Coast international arrived in a club-record deal from French side Lille, but has failed to hit the ground running at the Emirates, scoring just four times across all competitions.
And having recently been appointed as Unai Emery’s permanent successor, Arteta has revealed his blueprint on how he will try to eke out the winger’s potential at the club.
He said: “He found a team that in that moment was not performing at the best. Probably, the environment for him to settle wasn’t ideal. It isn’t just about him, we are here to help him. If he is willing to learn, to work hard I am sure he has potential to be top, absolutely top. (Against Bournemouth) he showed in two or three actions already how good he can be. But he has to be consistent.
“The problem with the confidence is he is confident only if he plays or he is confident of the manager if he trains well enough to convince me that I have confidence in him. I think it has to be a mix between the two.”
Fresh start
Make no mistake about it, after arriving in a £72m deal, big things were no doubt expected of Pepe. Could he be the man to help form a devastating attacking trio including Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? Instead, the 24-year-old has often found himself on the substitutes bench, watching on, registering just 1,019 minutes of Premier League football despite making 17 appearances in the competition.
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But the Gunners should not be quick to jump to any conclusions regarding their big-money signing. Coming from a new league and culture would have been a major shock for Pepe, and so it may well take this entire season for him to get fully acclimatised. Arteta’s words however will be like music to the winger’s ears as he looks to finally make his mark in English football.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta should focus on moulding this Arsenal starlet into a superstar.