The Lille boss claims Arsenal have made a “damn good deal” with Nicolas Pepe

Lille owner Gerard Lopez has claimed Arsenal have made “a damn good deal” by signing Nicolas Pepe.

The Ivory Coast winger left the French club to join the Gunners last summer with a record £ 72million but has not yet reached the heights he expected.

Despite scoring 22 goals and 11 assists in his last season with Lille, Pepe had a difficult debut season in the Premier League, scoring just eight goals and 10 assists.

And his huge price tag has generated a lot of criticism, but Lopez has defended the 25-year-old striker and the Gunners’ recruitment policy.

“Arsenal made a damn good deal,” Lopez told talkSPORT. “You have a player that others wanted and you have a player that a club offers more money for.

“It was Pepe’s management team that asked us to join Arsenal and because of that we accepted a little less money than we would have gotten elsewhere.

“Some people know this, I publicly know that some agents said that, but something that needs to be recorded – we didn’t sell it to the highest bidder.”

Arsenal this week denied conducting an internal investigation into its transfer business after Pepes Club hit a record £ 72million last summer.

It has been alleged that Pepe’s deal was being scrutinized by the club bosses to find out how and why such a fee was paid for the 25-year-old, but they have denied that it was.

Will Nicolas Pepe be good for Arsenal? Comment below

Sign up for the brilliant new Mirror Football newsletter!

From the latest broadcast news to the stories setting the agenda, everything is in your email inbox.

Include your email address at the top of this article or follow the instructions at this link.

But Lopez insists Pepe will prove himself at some point and the winger bounce back from a slow start to his career in Lille.

“The second thing that is important is that talent is always there and you can’t take it from people,” added Lopez.

“He’s a young player and a player who makes an impact on people who believe in him. Give him opportunities, but also responsibility.

“I’m not going to question tactically how it was played for half a season. What I’m going to say is that in his case, the best is yet to come.

“When he came to us, the first six or seven months weren’t even average. You could see talent. In the second half of the season he suddenly got his money’s worth and really in the second season.

“I have no doubt he can do the same. For example, I saw him playing the cup. Yes, his goal wasn’t given, but it was one of the top goals he can achieve.

“I’ve been watching him all season, every time he gets the ball something happens. It’s very hard to stop, especially when it’s in the last 30 or 40 meters. Either you have to mess him up or he will make a pass or create a scoring opportunity. This type of talent is very rare. Players who can dismantle or let something happen on their own.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said Arsenal got a good deal. Other people have been willing to pay more and if he delivers, he can deliver, he can be a player who is the key to getting them higher up the table. “