Pepe reveals why he could not stay at Arsenal after Trabzonspor approach | OneFootball

Nicolas Pepe has shed light on why he eagerly embraced the opportunity to transfer to Trabzonspor this summer, despite initially appearing set to stay at Arsenal.

Pepe, who was once Arsenal’s record signing, has faced criticism for not living up to expectations at the club. He struggled to adapt to Mikel Arteta’s tactical demands, leading to his exclusion from the manager’s plans.

Numerous clubs expressed interest in signing Pepe during the last transfer window, with some reports even linking him to moves to Saudi Arabia. However, convincing him to depart Arsenal proved to be a challenging task before he eventually agreed to make the move to Turkey with Trabzonspor.

Speaking about accepting the offer of Trabzonspor, Pepe said, as quoted by NTV Spor:

“There were other Turkish clubs interested in me, but what makes the difference is about the president, vice president and coach of Trabzon.

“Especially our vice president, who travelled regarding this issue. To see me, to have a conversation. He came to explain the club’s project. After he explained to me the club and the project, this was something that appealed directly to me and I could not refuse it.”

Just Arsenal Opinion

If Pepe had remained at the club, he clearly would have struggled to play for us and it seemed he was ready to sit on the bench and make good money.

Thankfully, we found an agreement for his signature and he is gone now so that we can focus on better players at the club.