Two players pleaded to swap rooms after staying with Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe

Nicolas Pepe, who finally left Arsenal last month after an unhappy spell in north London, wasn't a popular room-mate for his international team-mates, including Wilfried Zaha and Salomon Kalou

Mark Whiley Sports Reporter and Samuel Meade Sports Brand Writer

14:47, 19 Oct 2023Updated 14:48, 19 Oct 2023

Nicolas Pepe has finally secured an Arsenal exit

Nicolas Pepe has gone down as one of the worst signings in Arsenal history(Image: Getty Images)

Two footballers begged to switch rooms after sharing with Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe.

The Gunners signed the Ivorian in 2019 for a whopping £72m after his impressive stint with Lille. Despite high hopes, Pepe didn't deliver consistently and was eventually loaned out. He recently moved to Turkish side Trabzonspor for free, meaning a huge loss for Arsenal.

‌

However, it wasn't his Gunners team-mates who had issues with him, but his Ivory Coast colleagues. Both Wilfried Zaha and Salomon Kalou tried their best to avoid rooming with Pepe during international duty - due to his loud snoring.

‌

Zaha revealed on the OnTheJudy podcast in 2021: "Oh my days. Nicolas Pepe. Nicolas Pepe, I asked to leave the room. I went and asked to leave the room because he sounded like a motorbike. It was mad.

Article continues below

"Bro, it was crazy. I was like no, I can't. They let me move and share rooms with Kalou, Salomon Kalou. And he was like, 'Bro, I know. I moved myself'."

Is Nicolas Pepe the biggest waste of money in Arsenal's history? Tell us in the comments section below

Nicolas Pepe's snoring left his international colleagues traumatised

Nicolas Pepe's snoring left some of his international team-mates traumatised(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

‌

Zaha played for Galatasaray in the Champions League

Wilfried Zaha, who is also playing in Turkey, roomed with Pepe while on international duty(Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Pepe's new team-mates in the Turkish SuperLig are hoping his past performance won't affect their chances of challenging the country's top teams. Just two seasons ago, they were champions and have now enlisted the former Arsenal player to boost their title hopes.

"I came here to become a champion and achieve success," said the Ivorian, who has joined forces with ex-Aston Villa player, Trezeguet. Pepe's £150,000-a-week deal with Arsenal had a year left on the contract, but both he and the club decided to terminate it.

Article continues below

Last season, Pepe was loaned out to Nice, but failed to regain his previous Ligue 1 form. With Arsenal's attacking line-up already set, there seemed no way back into the starting XI for him, especially with Mikel Arteta keen to let him go. The 28-year-old quit the Emirates after making 112 appearances, scoring 27 goals, and winning the FA Cup in 2020.

This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up Daily Star's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to starletters@dailystar.co.uk