Arsenal: Nicolas Pepe will not solve the defence

Arsenal are set to sign £72 million Nicolas Pepe this week. But while the deal is extremely exciting, questions still remain of the defence.

Arsenal fans were all unified in their excitement when news broke on Saturday morning that the club had agreed on a £72 million fee with Lille for the transfer of Nicolas Pepe.

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It was a move that many had completely ruled out, given the price tag and the fact that several big clubs were looking at him. So to say I was surprised by this news would be putting it lightly.

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The biggest hurdle for believing this transfer was money. The Gunners seemingly could not afford  Pepe. So where did the financial muscle come from? Even with the planned instalments over a period of time, a £72 milllion deal still represents a significant outlay, and we should not forget that money is still needed to strengthen in other areas.

Obviously Pepe will be a massive signing for the club. In Ligue 1 , he scored 22 goals and record 11 assists from the wing. He is a world-class talent. And a potential front three of Alexandre Lacazette, Pepe, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would be one of the best front threes in the Premier League.

But then we look at the other end of the pitch: a defence plagued with inconsistencies and low self-confidence; a defensive structure that still requires major work; an utterly unconvincing personnel group that must be improved, but with little money to do so. Pepe is a tremendous coup, but he does address Arsenal’s major needs.

This summer, the club has prioritised signing exciting attacking young players over reinforcing the defence. Arsenal are in need of a winger, especially given the form of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the inconsistency of Alex Iwobi last season, but surely if the club can afford to commit to such an outlay for Pepe, they should be looking at the same level of commitment to improve the calamitous defence? William Saliba is a great piece of transfer business, but he will not be in north London for another year. Can you imagine the calibre of defender Arsenal could sign if as much effort was put in to the defence then it was for the attack?

I have questions about the Pepe deal. If Arsenal can afford to pay £72 million for his services, how come they can’t match Celtic’s £25 million valuation for Kieran Tierney? Given the fact that left-back is another priority position this summer, it doesn’t make sense to me. Also, with the amount of money that has been spent so far on an apparently limited budget, if the Pepe deal does get over the line, will there be enough money to bring anyone else in at other positions of need?.

It would be hugely concerning if Arsenal ended up in a position where signing an over-the-hill Gary Cahill on a free transfer is their only viable option for a defender. I am well aware that I’m beginning to sound like a broken record with my constant digs at the back four and I do have some positivity going into next season, but until certain things and focus areas are changed, as exciting and prolific the attack may be, the defence will continue to be a major liability.

As happy as I am about any Nicolas Pepe deal, I will only really celebrate if Arsenal follow this signing up with a quality signing at the back. Pepe is excellent, but there is more still to be done.