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Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe has found life difficult in Premier League following his £72 million move from Ligue 1 side Lille in the summer of 2019.
He has scored a total of 14 goals and provided 13 assists during his time at the Emirates. But the jury is out in him.
Recently, club legend Robert Pires weighed in on the Ivorian winger's misfortune in London, claiming that he is not 'cut out' for the intensity and rigor of Premier League football.
"His game doesn’t suit the intensity and demands of the Premier League," Pires said.
"Pepe wasn’t used to it and it has been complicated for him to change his mentality, to adapt to a new way of training, and to settle in a tough league. I think he is simply not cut out for English football."
"Mesut Ozil has already gone down as an Arsenal legend" - Robert Pires
The former Arsenal legend also opened up on Mesut Ozil, who completed his transfer to Turkish side Fenerbahce this month following an eight-year stint with the North London club.
Pires claimed that fans and everyone involved at Arsenal must not forget that the German was a stalwart during his time under Arsene Wenger, and should be treated like a true club legend.
"We must not forget everything he did for this club and the quality he brought to the team," the Frenchman said. "For me there is no culprit in this story. I know Arteta and I know Ozil. The manager made a decision and Ozil had to accept it, which he did."
Mesut Ozil began his time at the North London club in spectacular fashion. However, things quickly turned awry for the German during his time under managers Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta.
Ozil was not even named in the Premier League team for the 2020-21 campaign. He made a total of 121 goal contributions in 254 appearances for the club.
"He never complained but instead continued to train like a professional," Pires said. "He has now found a solution to leave by signing with Fenerbahce and I think everyone’s happy — especially Mesut because he was the one most affected by it."
"Being frozen out of the squad is very tough. That said, for me Ozil has already gone down as an Arsenal legend," Pires concluded.
