Ex-Tottenham striker labels Arsenal star a ‘flop’ as Gunners ‘set sights’ on England international

Former Tottenham Hotspur and England striker, Darren Bent, has named Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe as one of the Premier League’s biggest ‘flops’.

The Ivorian was highly regarded when he joined from Lille in a whopping £72 million deal in 201 after previously bagging an impressive 33 goal contributions for the French club the previous season. However, Pepe failed to find his feet under Mikel Arteta and was sent out on loan to Nice in the summer.

While Pepe has netted six goals in Ligue 1 this season and looks to have rediscovered some form, it is unclear where his future lies as he will have only a year left on his contract once he returns to the Emirates Stadium.

While discussing some of the Premier League’s biggest flops on talkSPORT, Bent said: “I think (Maguire) has to go and (leave Manchester United in the summer). I said in the meeting, and I thought I was being a little harsh here, about him being the worst value for money signing in Premier League history.

“But if you look at some of the other players that have gone for a lot of money. Transfers over £70 million don’t tend to work very well.

“Lukaku didn’t work. Sancho hasn’t worked yet. Kai Havertz – Pepe, £72 million, awful! Only Alisson and van Dijk have been the best two.”

Pepe is in the Premier League’s top 20 most expensive transfer arrivals in history behind the likes of Antony, Jack Grealish and Enzo Fernandez.

Striker on Arsenal’s radar

Arsenal have set their sights on Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins this summer, according to Football Insider. The in-form striker has reportedly opened contract talks with his current club.

Watkins has been on fire since Unai Emery took the hotseat at Villa Park in October and has netted nine goals in his last eleven matches, with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth the only teams to prevent him from scoring in the last three months.

While Watkins’ current deal isn’t set to expire until 2025, his brilliant form has unsurprisingly led to the club offering him fresh terms as they look to keep hold of him this summer. It has been reported that the England international will be offered over £100,000-a-week by the Midlands outfit - a significant increase in his current £75,000-a-week wages.

However, Arsenal are eager to step in before Watkins puts pen to paper and lure him to the Emirates Stadium. The chance to play Champions League football with the Gunners could be tempting to the Devon-born forward, however he may be put off by the prospect of being benched by Gabriel Jesus.