Nicolas Pepe’s Arsenal exit explained as reports of clique with Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang emerge

Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe has now left the Gunners to join Turkish side Trabzonspor, but recent reports have shed light on why his spell at the club didn’t go to plan.

The Ivorian spent a then club-record fee of £72million in 2019 to sign Pepe on a five-year deal from French club Lille after he scored 22 goals in 38 league games the season prior. However, he failed to live up to expectations during his four-year spell at Arsenal, struggling for form and fitness before eventually being usurped by Bukayo Saka in the starting line-up.

Having attracted little transfer interest in the summer window, Pepe subsequently had the final year of his contract terminated by the club, allowing him to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on a free transfer.

The Clique

Recent reports can perhaps begin to shed light on why the winger’s spell at the club didn’t go to plan. Pepe is said to have formed a three-man clique alongside fellow former Arsenal players Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during his time at the Emirates, with the trio spending a lot of time together.

According to ESPN, manager Mikel Arteta was not happy with the emergence of the small, breakaway group and increasingly felt it was stiffling the club’s progress. Pepe is also said to have gained a reputation as being one of the last out onto the training pitches and rarely spoke to club staff who did not work with the first team.

The report also claims that Pepe would ‘hang back’ with Lacazette and Aubameyang in the changing room while the other players went out for sessions on time.

The Writing Was On The Wall

The writing has been on the wall for Pepe for some time and all three players have now left the club as Arteta installed new leaders in the dressing room and created a more cohesive environment.

Aubameyang was stripped of the captaincy in December 2021 after a series of disciplinary breaches, with the striker later moving to Barcelona at the end of the January window that season. Lacazette became first-choice captain until the end of that season but, at the end of the campaign, the striker also departed the club and returned to Lyon.

Conclusion

Nicolas Pepe’s Arsenal exit has now been explained as reports of a clique with Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have emerged. The trio’s relationship is said to have caused unrest in the dressing room and ultimately led to their departures from the north London club. With all three players now gone, Mikel Arteta has been able to install new leaders in the dressing room and create a more cohesive environment.