OGC Nice spent most of the year searching for a winger who would improve their team. Now, their search is over, as they completed a season-long loan deal to take Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe back to Ligue 1. The 27-year-old was unveiled at the Allianz Riviera stadium before Nice’s Europa Conference League play-off second leg with Maccabi Tel-Aviv, in which the Ligue 1 side triumphed 2-1 on aggregate after extra-time.##NAJAVA_MECA_6596647##The explosive Ivorian was instrumental in Lille’s excellent 2018/19 season, scoring 22 goals and 11 assists as Les Lillois finished second in the league. Such performances prompted Arsenal to splash $88 million for his services. It was supposed to be a match made in heaven, but it was anything but. He often struggled to justify his price tag, scoring 27 goals in 112 games for the north London club.Arsenal’s flop witnesses Nice’s dramatic win in EuropeEven though Unai Emery was the manager then, he didn’t want Pepe in his team. Instead, he wanted another Ivorian winger – Wilfried Zaha. Emery came clear about it six months after leaving his post at the Emirates.”I had a meeting with Zaha. It was him I wanted, and he wanted to come. But the club decided that Pepe was younger and represented the future.”New « Aiglon » in town 🦅🔴⚫️#OGCNice #Pepe pic.twitter.com/TxDzmv1yDB— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) August 25, 2022 Last season, the Gunners’ coach Mikel Arteta only used him as a substitute, but he hasn’t played a single minute in Arsenal’s three league matches this season. However, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Nice coach Lucien Favre sees Pepe as an ideal player to thrive in his preferred 4-3-3 formation as the right winger.Pepe has made 34 appearances for Ivory Coast and was called up for two AFCON finals.
