Signing Nicolas Pepe was not my call- Unai Emery

It has been a crazy week at Arsenal as players seemed to be taking a dig at former manager Unai Emery and the Spaniard speaking on why he was sacked, and the situation at the club.

The Europa League winner with Sevilla was sacked by the Gunners in November last year after a run of seven games in all competitions without a win, with the team eight points adrift of the Premier League’s top four.

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He has now claimed that “Arsenal was a club on a downward slope for two years before I arrived”, and, some decisions were made without his consultation and approval.

One decision made was, signing winger Nicolas Pepe on a club-record deal from Lille in the summer.

“We needed time to succeed with our transition to a new Arsenal which is what I wanted. For example, Nicolas Pépé, who was the club’s choice, clearly needed time to adapt,” he told France Football, as per Get Football News France.

This is a huge claim because if we can remember well, Pepe, under Emery was not really a regular starter.

Unai was believed to be a naturally defensive coach, particularly preferring an industrious three-man midfield of Matteo Guendouzi, Granit Xhaka, and Lucas Torreira instead of an attacking trio of Aubameyang, Ozil and Nico Pepe and a mid of maybe two.

24-year-old Pepe has now made 27 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring five goals and contributing three assists.