Николас Пепе

Nicolas Pépé (born 29 May 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger or forward for La Liga club Villarreal. Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team. Pépé began his senior club career with Poitiers in the Championnat de France Amateur 2. He signed for Angers in 2013, aged 18, and spent a season on loan at Orléans in 2015. He signed for Lille in 2017, and was named to the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year in the 2018–19 season. That summer, Pépé joined Arsenal for a then club-record fee of £72 million, and won the FA Cup in his debut season. Pépé, who was born in France to Ivorian parents, made his debut for the Ivory Coast on 15 November 2016 in a friendly against France. He was selected for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023.