Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery has opened about Arsenal’s failed attempt to bring Crystal Palace winger Wilfred Zaha to the Emirates but the board chose to go with Nicolas Pepe. He says that despite the board wanting to invest in the future, he wanted Zaha to “win matches now”.
Unai Emery said “We signed [Nicolas] Pépé. He’s a good player but we didn’t know his character and he needs time, patience. I favoured someone who knew the league and wouldn’t need to adapt, [Wilfried] Zaha won games on his own: Tottenham, Manchester City, us. Incredible performances. I told them: ‘This is the player I know and want.’ I met Zaha and he wanted to come. The club decided Pépé was one for the future. I said: ‘Yes, but we need to win now and this lad wins games.’ He beat us on his own. It’s also true he was expensive and Palace didn’t want to sell. There were a series of decisions that had repercussions.”
