Arsenal manager Unai Emery has leaped to the defense of under-fire winger Nicolas Pepe backing the Ivory Coast international to live up to his £72m price tag.
Pepe made the big-money move from French side, Lille in the summer but he has found the going tough at the north London club where he has scored just one goal, from the penalty spot this season.
Fans have since turned against him, terming him a flop and this has not helped his case as he has been disappointing in most of the games that he has played. Emery, however, believes that the forward needs more time to adjust to the life and nature of the game in England.
“I am sure that Pepe is an amazing player, I am sure he is going to be here a big career, [he] needs time. A lot of players when they came here, the first month, the first year is not easy for them,” he said.
The Spanish coach added that he is going to work with the player alongside another new signing Dani Ceballos to ensure that they adjust to and adapt quickly.
“But I am going to work with him, to be easy that adaptation for Pepe and Dani Ceballos and other players, and after carrying on, being together and be strong, and after each individual quality to use with us the best we can. He still needs to play, get confidence, know progressively better the other players, our work. It’s one price and this process is called adaption. The adaptation, some need less time and some need more. But every player needs time when they arrive here. Young players or players as important as Pepe,” he added.