Arsenal have turned quite a few heads in preseason with their sensational style of play and the results have also followed them. However they still have a few issues in their squad and Mikel Arteta would like to address them on priority. Arsenal legend Alan Smith recently suggested the Gunners should offload Nicolas Pepe even if the club makes a huge loss from the deal.
The highly rated winger joined Arsenal back in 2019 after his scintillating performances in the Ligue 1. He was signed for a transfer fee of around £72 million and since then he has failed to lived up to the hype. The winger has been massively underwhelming and Smith feels selling him makes a whole lot of sense.
Pepe has scored 27 goals in 112 appearances for the Gunners and has struggled to find form. Since Arteta’s arrival he has even falled down the pecking order. Alan Smith wants Arsenal to get rid off Pepe, the same way they did with Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil in the past. He feels that underperforming players on huge wages often create problems for the entire team.
The English striker recently discussed this on Express as he said, “”As a lot of clubs find out, getting rid of Premier League players when they’re on such good contracts is so difficult. At times, Arsenal have had to take hits on Aubameyang and Ozil just to get them out of the door.
Smith continued on how Pepe is not consistent and how he does not fit in Arteta’s scheme of things. Overall he feels that the transfer is one of the worst bit of business done by his former club though he puts Lukaka at a worse position with the entire situation with Chelsea and Inter getting involved.
“It was one of the worst transfer amounts, not as bad as Lukaku but it was up there. He doesn’t appear to be Arteta’s cup of tea. He’s not consistent and not many coaches like that. So if they could get Pepe out of the door then that would be a bonus.”
The Gunners have been sensational in the transfer window till now as they have signed some great players. Former Manchester City stars Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have joined the club alongwith FC Porto youngster Fabio Vieira and Brazilian winger Marquinhos. American goalkeeper Matt Turner has also joined the club from Major League Soccer outfit New England Revolution. Many people are expecting something big from Arsenal this season as they have played exceptional football in preseason and will look to continue that momentum into the upcoming season.
