Since his departure from Lille in the summer of 2019 for Arsenal, Nicolas Pépé has seen his career become increasingly complicated. Having to take on an 80 million euro transfer to the North London club, the right winger never convinced with the Gunners and saw his role become more and more anecdotal. Left on loan to Nice where he managed to have good statistics after a fairly interesting start, he finished the year poorly and was not retained. Having left freely in Turkey for Trabzonspor last season, he also had some interesting statistics, but did not shine (6 goals and 3 freebies in 23 games). Seeing him bounce back in a club like Villarreal after a mixed year – where he still won the CAN with the Ivory Coast – was therefore surprising, but Nicolas Pépé is slowly asserting himself with the sub yellow sailor.
A gentle adaptation
However, it didn’t go as planned at first. Arriving free on August 4 at the Spanish club, he arrived late in the team and again experienced a truncated pre-season. “ It’s been two years since I last did a pre-season. And I need it to get back to being the fast player I was before. I have really learned a lot over the last few years. Of course, I’m the same player. I’m getting older, which is normal, but I’m still the same player as before “, he emphasized in an interview for the BBC. Finally, he signed for Villarreal for two years and was quickly won over by the proposed project.
“ Thanks to my friend and teammate Bailly, who I knew from the selection, I was able to speak to Marcelino. He explained the project to me and gave me a lot of confidence. That convinced me (…) I already have friends in the locker room who, I know, will help me. And I want to start learning and improving my Spanish, and this will help me adapt », he explained, confident upon his arrival. Capable of playing center forward as a right winger in Marcelino’s 4-4-2, he needed time to shine, but saw his playing time slowly increase and posted a goal and an offering in eight appearances.
Marcelino already conquered
If the statistics are not yet impressive for the native of Mantes-la-Jolie, his impact is already being felt. “ He had a great match. He saved a face-off and scored a very good goal which was disallowed by a millimeter. He played a very complete match. If he is regular, he will give us a lot of joy », said his coach Marcelino after a 5-1 defeat against FC Barcelona where he had nevertheless impressed. Currently fourth in La Liga with 7 points behind FC Barcelona and 4 behind Real Madrid, Villarreal has had a great start to the season if we except this misstep and has strong ambitions just like Nicolas Pépé.
“ There is the physical state, but also the mental aspect. When you are given a lot of confidence, it becomes a lot easier for any player. When teammates trust you, it’s easier to express yourself and move. I try to learn the language quickly to adapt as efficiently as possible. Then, on the pitch, there is footballing language. And with the players in this squad, I manage to understand them well (…) Frankly, I am not at all vengeful. I spent the 2023-24 season in Türkiye (Trabzonspor) where I was a little forgotten. Personally, I know what I’m worth. I don’t want to show others that Nicolas Pépé has returned. I am keen to show myself that I am capable of performing », he confided in an interview for Eurosport at the start of the month. On and off the field, the player who is believed to have a relationship with the American porn actress Teanna Trump, was able to relaunch his career in style. It’s up to him to confirm over the long term within Marcelino’s Villarreal.
