Claudius If we had persisted with those same players who are all unfit for a high possession, high territory, pressing game, do you guys really think we would’ve pushed for second last season.
Firstly, Pépé shouldn't have been on our books last season, on loan at a crappy Ligue 1 club. I started the "high-priced bag man" thread about this. If you had to put it in as few words as possible, Arsenal no longer has a shop window.
In many cases, it's when we know we won't persist with a player he should get minutes on the field—provided it's a safe advertisement for his gifts.
Pépé barely featured for us after that 2022 winter. Arteta marooned him for reasons which overall were legitimate. But we didn't reach our season objective. It was always going to be tricky because Pépé's wages were high, but we had good chances to bring him on, let him shine a little then move him on that summer. Instead he goes to Trabzonspor after eighteen months, leaving for nothing even though his fantasy value's still €20m.
It's bad business. In terms you understand better than me most likely, our business processes are not correct: we have poor alignment between responsibility and accountability.
It's not just about the money either, the flip side of the poor return from transfers out is Arsenal becoming a club that damages too many players' careers.
Pépé is now history and there were complicating factors such as wages. But this season we must ensure fringe players such as Smith Rowe and Nelson get plenty of opportunities, among others, and then move them on if they're not in Arteta's thinking. Instead we've been back in the market for both left-sided midfielders and right wingers.
