[ad_1]
Arsenal signed Ivory Coast international Pepe from French Lille in the summer of 2019 for a club record fee of £ 72 million.
However, the 25-year-old has been through a mixed stint at the Emirates to date, and is still trying to cement a place in Mikel Arteta’s first team.
His hopes of establishing himself at Arsenal were dashed on Sunday when he was sent off for violent conduct after heading Leeds United star Ezgjan Alioski.
Former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand says Pepe ‘disappointed’ his teammates and the club, suggesting that the player is struggling due to pressure from his transfer fee.
He told the FIVE YouTube channel: ‘All Arsenal fans who are always there and quick to shout, laugh, smile and celebrate.
Listen, okay, that’s what football is about. Your emotions can run wild, I’ve been there and I’ve done it. “Ole is at the wheel”, that kind of thing.
But you are fighting again, you cannot cross the line again.
Nicolás Pepe let you down, I don’t understand. You are a player who said before the international break that he wants to return to the team, that he needs his chance and is not happy.
They give you a chance, you do something so ridiculously stupid and they kick you out. Has no sense. You disappoint your teammates and yourself.
I want Pepe to do well. I saw him in Lille, a beautiful footballer with skill. He needs to do it at Arsenal.
“The big fee creates pressure and he is not dealing with it now.”
Arsenal’s goalless draw at Leeds means they remain only 11th in the Premier League, seven points behind joint leaders Tottenham and Liverpool.
The Gunners have won less than half of their league games this season, scoring just nine goals in nine games.
Ferdinand added: ‘They are not shooting. They can’t get Aubameyang going, they can’t get him to score after he signed the new contract.
It has not lit the world at all. It was on fire before that.
“They don’t have that fluidity that we’ve seen before with the Arteta team. Things are not going well for them, they need to do it well quickly.
‘I saw [Rob] Holding when the whistle blew, delighted and shaking his fists.
‘I can understand that but I’m sure they will look for more because they were so lucky to come out with a point because Leeds opened them numerous times.
‘They couldn’t believe their luck. When Leeds left that field, they were walking with difficulty thinking “how the hell did we not win that game”.
Follow Metro Sport through our social channels, at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more stories like this, check out our sports page.
[ad_2]
