Mourinho predicted that Arsenal’s record signing will come good once he adjusts to the Premier League.
Arsenal made a massive statement in the summer when they splashed out £72 million (BBC) to sign Lille’s Nicolas Pepe.
The Ivorian had a stunning campaign in France last season where he scored 23 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions for Lille.
The transition from Ligue 1 to the Premier League was never going to be easy and current Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho stressed that when the Gunners signed Pepe last summer.
Mourinho was quoted by TalkSport saying: “I followed Lille a lot last season. I didn’t want to come to English stadiums after being sacked at United, so I went to Lille many times.
“I know Pepe very well. There’s a question mark over the time for his adaptation but he’s obviously a kid with a lot of talent. This is potentially a very good signing for Arsenal.”
Pepe certainly struggled at the start of the season but he has slowly shown everyone what he is capable of. The first half of the campaign for Arsenal under Unai Emery was a torrid period for most players, which didn’t help the Ivorian.
Now under Mikel Arteta, Pepe looks a lot more comfortable, both with and without possession. The 24-year-old has scored six goals and has provided eight assists so far which is not a bad record.
14 direct goal contributions in 21 starts is a very decent return for a player in his first season in England, playing under enormous pressure due to his big price-tag.
Pepe has been named as the ‘man of the match’ on seven different occasions – the most in Arsenal’s squad this season. (WhoScored)
The Ivorian still has a lot to do before he proves his worth. But the signs at the end of his first season look good and Arsenal fans will be hoping that he can kick on and silence his critics next term.
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