Record signing Pepe has dig at Mikel Arteta over Arsenal role
Nicolas Pepe has admitted he is unhappy with his lack of playing time under Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
The 25-year-old, Arsenal’s record £72million signing, has impressed in the cup competitions this season but has started only one match in the Premier League.
“My goal is to play more. To have a little more playing time,” Ivory Coast winger Pepe told French channel Canal Plus.
“A player who plays is happy. For me, I would like to play a little more to find a smile again.
“He (Arteta) wants me to be 100 per cent focused during the 90 minutes of the match. Afterwards, I see during training that I will be a substitute the following weekend.
“But the coach speaks to me, he also has assistants who are there for that. But it is frustrating for any player to be on the bench.
“A super-sub role? The coach makes his choices. It’s up to me to show him that I don’t have that role.”
Pepe has scored 11 goals in 54 appearances since joining Arsenal from Lille in 2019.
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Adams reveals Arsenal deal for Bellingham
Former Arsenal defender Tony Adams says Arsenal saw a deal for Jude Bellingham slip through their hands.
Adams claims that the Gunners had a deal “done” for the 17-year-old, who was on Tuesday called up to the England squad.
There is no reference from Adams as to when Arsenal negotiated the prospective deal, but it’s believed to have been in 2019.
Adams says the “transition” to new technical director Edu, who arrived in July 2019, was the reason that Arsenal missed out on the Borussia Dortmund star.
“I think it got lost this one in the transition of the chief scout,” former Arsenal captain Adams told Sky Sports.
“He was spotted very early on, not by me but by the Arsenal recruitment office. The chief scout was absolutely bowled over by him and the great prospect that he is.
“New sports director Edu came in from Brazil and had no European experience and no UK experience and I think it got lost in the transition.
“Unfortunately the chief scout had the deal kind of done but we missed that one. He’s a great talent but unfortunately he’s not joined the right club.”
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