Nicolas Pepe has suggested he will consider his Arsenal future following a ‘frustrating’ season at the Emirates.
Pepe has struggled for regular first-team football at Arsenal this season and has made just five starts in the Premier League, with the £72m record signing having failed to convince Mikel Arteta on a consistent basis.
The Ivory Coast international – who will face England in a friendly fixture on Tuesday evening – has opened up on his frustrations at a peripheral role this season and has suggested he could consider an exit from North London at the end of the season.
Pepe has provided three goals and five assists in eight starts across all competitions this season, but admits he understands Arteta’s reluctance to change a winning side with the Gunners having been in impressive form in recent weeks.
“I am focused on how well we do until the end of the season and the club’s target, which is getting into the Champions League. Then we will see what happens,” he said, as per the Mirror.
“When a team is winning it is hard for a coach to make changes. Mikel Arteta has explained that to me and the coach knows what I think and how hard I’m working. It is also about communication.
“Sometimes it’s not easy to communicate with the language barrier. It has been a tough season for me. Of course, it is frustrating not to play. No player enjoys not playing but I have to respect the coach’s decision and the team is doing well at the moment.”
