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Arsenal have enjoyed a decent enough start to their Premier League campaign. Things could be better - we guess that is the case with every single top team in the world this early on in the season - but so far, so good for the Gunners.
Arsenal conducted a deep clean of their squad, selling or loaning out almost every player that could be considered not good enough or a liability, and getting in some quality players in positions of need.
This could be considered a good window for the Gunners, but in the past, there have been some questionable signings and sales from the club that cost them (quite literally) at the time and after, too.
One of those double-edged swords at the time was Nicolas Pepe, who was signed at a club record fee of 72 million pounds. Bonkers fee for a player who never really worked out.
Nicolas Pepe is playing really well for Villarreal
Manager Mikel Arteta sent the player on loan to Nice at the start of the 2022-23 season, before seeing him join Trabzonspor on a fee transfer in 2023.
Pepe has since joined Villarreal and has seemed to find his level and consistency, as he now has a deal that runs till 2028. He is level on goals + assists with the likes of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe in La Liga already, with three – yes, you read that right.
Pepe has started this season in amazing form, and has, in a way, made Arteta look silly in a position Arsenal could have used some depth in now.
I mean, I know what I am saying - he was sold two years ago, and the player is performing at a high rate now. However, that is a position Arsenal have needed depth in for a couple of years.
On the other hand, however, it is worth noting that it is very easy to say all of this in hindsight. When the player was actually at Arsenal, he not only failed to live up to his enormous price tag, but he was also just not playing all that well, which forced the club to look elsewhere for a player that fits the system just that little bit more.
It is good to see, though, that Pepe is performing well. It is still early on in the season - and it could well be a hot streak that does not last for very long, but if it does, good on him.
It will be good to see him play well for another club, as much as Arsenal fans would have wanted him to work out as a top-level footballer at their own club instead.