Nicolas Pépé

[swipe right]

Saka and ESR are more like two number tens with goals in them operating behind the striker. But Pepe has a value in that he operates further up the park and wider and can bring more goals to the table. We should be operating with two strikers and two CAMs in my opinion. That’s what Wenger used to do with RVP + Walcott and Cesc + Nasri. So when Auba is away with Gabon we should play Laca and Pepe.

Thing is we've started to play ESR on the wing so is there even room for Pepe?

Saka on one wing and ESR on the other is working. And I like ESR on the wing cause he can cut inside and his creative eye can cut defences open.

Pepe never gives me confidence. It's like he doesn't know what he's doing or wants to do when he's on the ball. He can be a useful weapon off the bench but is what what we signed him for? It's an expensive sub.

I’d be interested in seeing this when Auba is away.

Laca
Saka - ESR - Pepe

Laca can drop off allowing Pepe to come in off the flanks between CB and advancing FB with Saka putting pressure on the left, where I honestly think he’s better, and ESR playing the ten role.

[Ach]

Wouldn't Pepe be away?

[Zenith]

Wouldn't Pepe be away?

Yes, unless injury or illness prevents him from being able to go.

[jayramfootball]

Apparently we're listening to offers of around £25m

Can't say I'm not happy but ouch... what a disastrous signing this turned out to be.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... nings.html

Yeah - awful signing.
We might be in a position of selling him but still having a negative balance on him paying off another couple of years of his fee.
TBH, though, wouldn't mind him being sold even if we have to take a big loss. At least his wages would be off the books.

[Ach]

Barely played. When he does, he produces.

Awfully managed. Needs to go and save himself

[Power n Glory]

Apparently we're listening to offers of around £25m

Can't say I'm not happy but ouch... what a disastrous signing this turned out to be.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... nings.html

Hasn't been a great signing and selling for £25m would make it worse. Would rather he came off the bench to earn his place in the starting line up instead of selling for such a cheap price. We don't really have many players that can play wide. It's just ESR, Saka, Martinelli and Pepe. Should be pushing for £40m on the sale price at least.

[jayramfootball]

Barely played. When he does, he produces.

Awfully managed. Needs to go and save himself

He's played nearly 500 minutes in the PL this year - 0 goals and 1 assist.
He's produced all right - but what he has produced smells rank.

[swipe right]

Somebody took a bung on this deal. No other explanation.

[DiamondGooner]

Biggest waste of money since Kim Kalstrom tbf.

£75m player who can't even make the starting line up in our team.

[jayramfootball]

Somebody took a bung on this deal. No other explanation.

I think that too - and I think that is why that person left (or was booted out of) the club.

[theHotHead]

You could sort of understand the deal, Pepe looked better than other attacking players we were linked with at the time, when we saw the price being touted we all thought he must be a top level player. If you look at his stats from the French league in his last season and the highlights of the goals he scored you could be excused for believing the hype.

He is just inconsistent, for £72m I expect the player to be doing more, to be able to cause havoc 8 times out of 10. Look at Jadon Sancho, ripping up the Bundesliga and Man U look like they bought a £100m dud ! I have no idea if Pepe will come good he has the ability, if he had Saka's directness he would be so so much more effective because he beats players so easily.

[jayramfootball]

You could sort of understand the deal, Pepe looked better than other attacking players we were linked with at the time, when we saw the price being touted we all thought he must be a top level player. If you look at his stats from the French league in his last season and the highlights of the goals he scored you could be excused for believing the hype.

He is just inconsistent, for £72m I expect the player to be doing more, to be able to cause havoc 8 times out of 10. Look at Jadon Sancho, ripping up the Bundesliga and Man U look like they bought a £100m dud ! I have no idea if Pepe will come good he has the ability, if he had Saka's directness he would be so so much more effective because he beats players so easily.

Only if you get fooled by stats from weaker leagues.

[swipe right]

72 mil for Pepe after one season at Lille and he’s underwhelming
50 mil for White after one season at Brighton which seems like a gross overvaluation
30 mil for Saliba after one season at St Ettienne and he’s on loan
And now they are talking about 80 mil for Vlahovic after one season at fiorentina

Why are we paying these small clubs silly money and getting duped?

[theHotHead]

You could sort of understand the deal, Pepe looked better than other attacking players we were linked with at the time, when we saw the price being touted we all thought he must be a top level player. If you look at his stats from the French league in his last season and the highlights of the goals he scored you could be excused for believing the hype.

He is just inconsistent, for £72m I expect the player to be doing more, to be able to cause havoc 8 times out of 10. Look at Jadon Sancho, ripping up the Bundesliga and Man U look like they bought a £100m dud ! I have no idea if Pepe will come good he has the ability, if he had Saka's directness he would be so so much more effective because he beats players so easily.

Only if you get fooled by stats from weaker leagues.

Mate most Man City's big purchases have come from leagues you call inferior - and yet they are dominating footie

[Highbury Hillbilly]

At £140k pw, £25m may as well be £100m. There isn't another hyper profligate Arsenal type club out there that we could shift him on to. Even the Everton money train came to a screeching halt last season.

We made the same mistake putting Laca on £180k and Partey on 200k. Both are good players but we will never recover a fee for selling them.

I can see Pepe being loaned out for the remaining 2 seasons and leave quietly after that.

What are we doing on the wages front??