Nicolas Pepe says he has no regrets about ending his Arsenal chapter, insisting life at Villarreal has given him the clarity and comfort he lacked in north London.
The Ivory Coast winger arrived at Arsenal in 2019 for a then club-record £72.5 million fee but never fully settled. He managed 27 goals in 112 appearances before slipping out of favour as Mikel Arteta restructured the squad.
Pepe believes poor communication with the Arsenal manager was the biggest obstacle during his time in England. He says the contrast with his relationship with Villarreal coach Marcelino Garcia Toral has been decisive.
“First, it’s different. These two managers are really different,” Pepe told Flashscore.
“We’ll start with Arteta, who is a coach who asks for certain things. Sometimes it was a bit tough for me, where from time to time we didn’t have this communication. And that’s what I regret the most, not having enough communication with him.
“Then with coach Marcelino, it’s the opposite, where I think we talk about everything, about nothing, football, not football, whatever.
“I always say that I prefer a coach who is totally transparent with me, whether it’s the right or the wrong side. It allows me to move forward and progress.”
Pepe, 30, has rediscovered rhythm in Spain. He has delivered five goals and four assists in 29 La Liga appearances this season and says the tempo of Spanish football suits his game.
He said, “It’s totally different in terms of intensity of play. [In] the Premier League, we were very much focused on the intensity whereas in Spain we are more relaxed. The idea of playing is to play the ball.
“With stadiums in England I think there are no better. You can go to the third or fourth division, you will have stadiums that are filled with incredible atmosphere.
“In Spain, too, there’s atmosphere, but it’s totally different. So I think it’s two different leagues, but they are at a very high level.”
