Now more than five years after Arsenal signed Nicolas Pepe, the winger is still a name often mentioned around the Emirates Stadium.
Pepe arrived as the flagship signing of the Unai Emery era, even if the Spaniard reportedly wanted to sign Wilfried Zaha instead.
But either way, Pepe was handed to Emery, who wasn’t able to get the best out of the winger.
Mikel Arteta also tried his hand to deliver all of the rich potential Pepe had previously demonstrated in Ligue 1, but was also ultimately left underwhelmed.
That being said, after amassing 112 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 27 goals and providing 21 assists, Pepe departed for Nice on loan in 2022.
And towards the end of last summer, Pepe finally left Arsenal on a permanent basis for Trabzonspor in Turkey.
Pepe made 23 appearances for Trabzonspor scoring six goals, but after just a one-year stay, the 29-year-old is now ready for a crack at La Liga.
William Saliba excited to see former Arsenal man Nicolas Pepe revive his career
Pepe has never previously played in Spain, perhaps hoping that his trickery on the wing can be best utilised in La Liga.
Still a popular figure among a lot of Arsenal supporters, Pepe took to Instagram to celebrate his new beginnings shortly after signing for Villarreal.
And among the outpouring of good wishes from fans and old teammates, there was actually a message from Arsenal defender William Saliba.
The duo only briefly crossed paths in north London, but it appears as if Pepe still made a positive impression on Saliba.
Saliba perhaps echoed the thoughts of a lot of Arsenal fans with the comment, “Let’s go” – a player who still has a lot of potential to fulfil.
As mentioned, Pepe remains a popular figure in N5, a player who still enjoyed some excellent moments at the Emirates despite not living up to the price Arsenal paid.
Of course, a lot of the club’s supporters will be itching for Arteta and Edu to part with a similar fee for an attacker this summer.
To that end, Arteta recently discussed the chances of Arsenal spending £100m on a player before the end of August.
