Nicolas Pepe may not be an Arsenal player this season, but supporters will have a vested interest in his first return to London since joining OGC Nice on loan.
The 27-year-old is expected to be named in the Ligue 1 outfit's squad for Wednesday's friendly which just so happens to be against Tottenham Hotspur as preparations continue for the restart of the domestic league across Europe following a six-week pause for the World Cup in Qatar.
This will be the first time Pepe has been back in the English capital for a game following his move to France towards the end of the summer transfer window as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta felt regular first-team football was best for the Ivory Coast international who has struggled to live up to his £72m price-tag.
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"It’s been three years and he some good moments, some others where he hasn’t really contributed much in terms of minutes," the Spaniard revealed during a press conference. "We decided for every party it was the best decision to allow him to go. He needs to play football."
And the decision has benefited all parties so far. Since making his Nice debut in a 3-0 defeat at home to Marseille - a fixture that saw him come up against ex-teammate, Matteo Guendouzi, fellow loan army member Nuno Tavares as well as ex-Gunners in Alexis Sanchez and Sead Kolasinac - Pepe has featured in every single game whether that be in Ligue 1 or the UEFA Conference League.
Although, he was criticised by manager Lucien Favre following the aforementioned debut for his lack of intensity, especially when defending: "He's got to get back into the swing of things. He hasn't played for a long time in England," Favre said. "He did his pre-season with Arsenal but didn't play a match, so he lacks a bit of rhythm and intensity tracking back, in the pressing and recovering the ball, because that's what everyone has to do, there are no exceptions.
"If one or two players don't do the job, the whole team has a problem. Everyone has to do it at the same time, defend together to get the ball back and then play. We have to be ready, we are professionals. Winning the ball back is important in any sport."
To Pepe's credit, he has responded with a lot more effort out of possession. As per FBREF, he's averaging 1.11 tackles per 90 in Ligue 1 so far this campaign which is equal to the entirety of last season at Arsenal in way fewer minutes so he's on course to equal 1.43 per 90 from his first year at the Emirates Stadium.
Furthermore, at the other end of the spectrum, the winger has weighed in with six goals in 18 appearances across all competitions including the winner against former club Lille on only his third outing in Nice colours.
Now, despite some reports to the contrary, football.london understands that there is no obligation to buy included Pepe's loan deal with Nice which means he is on course to head back to Arsenal at the end of the season where he will have just 12 months remaining on his contract.
Prior to the loan move, there was hope that the Ivorian could impress in France to help Gunners' sporting director Edu recoup some of the £72m fee they paid for him when next summer's transfer window opens. As things stand, Pepe is valued at €15m (£13.1m) by the CIES Football Observatory and there's a chance this improves in the coming months.
Looking at the current Arsenal first-team squad, including those out on loan, Pepe is probably one of the most saleable assets and as he prepares to return to London, his performances during the first half of the season point towards there being a few potential buyers next summer.
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