Nicolas Pepe joined Arsenal from Lille this summer
Pepe joined Arsenal from Lille this summer (Picture: Getty)

Nicolas Pepe revealed he joined Arsenal this summer because the club matched his ambition.

The summer signing arrived in a £72million deal in one of the transfer coups of the window, with Pepe also attracting interest from Liverpool and Manchester United.

Reports in France claim both Liverpool and United made offers for Pepe, but the forward decided Arsenal was the club for him. Napoli too were scrambling to sign the goalscorer, and Pepe lifted the lid on why he chose Arsenal.

‘I chose to come here because it’s a club with a lot of ambition,’ Pepe told the club website.

Unai Emery has helped Nicolas Pepe settle
Emery has helped Pepe settle (Picture: Getty)

‘They have the dream of coming back to the Champions League and I am also an ambitious person, so the choice was very logical.

‘I am attracted to the Premier League because it is an extremely intense championship and the best league in the world.

‘The idea is to win the Europa League and that is a goal of ours. It’s a European event and our goal is to do better than last season. I believe we will.’

Manchester United and Liverpool were credited with an interest in Nicolas Pepe
United and Liverpool were credited with an interest in Pepe (Picture: Getty)

Pepe is still waiting on his first start, coming off the bench in both of Arsenal’s games so far.

Arsenal travel to Liverpool this weekend with both sides unbeaten and Pepe explained how Unai Emery was key to helping him settle in at the London club.

‘It’s been really good because he speaks French and it has been much easier for us to communicate,’ he said.

‘I am new, the strategy and tactics are new and it really helps that I can get the coach’s assistance.

‘Now I need to learn English and this is something he is helping me with also.’

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