Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa lauds Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe

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Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has lauded Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe ahead of the FA Cup third round tie between the two sides on Monday, in comments reported by Leeds Live.

Bielsa was the manager to bring Pepe to Lille back in 2017. They would only spend a handful of months working together before Bielsa’s departure from the Ligue 1 side. But it appears that the Argentinian certainly made a positive impression.

In comments reported by Le 10 Sport, the forward labelled Bielsa special and a great coach. And ahead of Leeds’s trip to the Emirates at the start of next week, the Whites boss has returned the favour with some kind words about Arsenal’s summer signing.

“Pepe is a great player with big resources and is a goalscorer,” he said, as reported by Leeds Live.

“And he’s a player who is able to unbalance a match. Obvious skills, then you have all of these skills in one player, the value is £70m. It’s just a matter of time and after show those skills. He has showed them clearly and after the price has linked what he has shown on the pitch.

“One thing is to have the skills, another is to have the skills and show it on the pitch. He does both. He has clearly shown his skills and is at a club he deserves to be.”

It has not been the easiest time for Pepe since he arrived in North London. There had certainly been glimpses of his quality, but he was not able to make an impact on a consistent basis.

However, he appears to have turned a corner in recent weeks. He scored and set one up against West Ham. And he also marked his first start under Mikel Arteta with a goal against Manchester United.

It is clear that he has the potential to be a massive player at Arsenal.

But clearly, no-one needs to tell Marcelo Bielsa that.