.jpg) Pépé playing forLille in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicolas Pépé[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1995-05-29)29 May 1995 (age 30)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mantes-la-Jolie, France | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right winger,forward | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Villarreal | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 19 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| Solitaire Paris Est | |||||||||||||||||
| Poitiers | |||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Poitiers | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Angers II | 41 | (9) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | Angers | 40 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | →Orléans (loan) | 29 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Lille | 74 | (35) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | Arsenal | 80 | (16) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | →Nice (loan) | 19 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Trabzonspor | 19 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Villarreal | 40 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | Ivory Coast | 53 | (11) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:32, 8 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 October 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
Nicolas Pépé (born 29 May 1995) is a professionalfootballer who plays as aright winger orforward forLa Liga clubVillarreal. Born in France, he plays for theIvory Coast national team.
Pépé began his senior club career withPoitiers in theChampionnat de France Amateur 2. He signed forAngers in 2013, aged 18, and spent a season on loan atOrléans in 2015. He signed forLille in 2017, and was named to theUNFP Ligue 1Team of the Year in the2018–19 season. That summer, Pépé joined Arsenal for a then club-record fee of £72 million, and won theFA Cup in his debut season. In 2022, he was loaned toNice, and then left on a free transfer toTrabzonspor.
Pépé, who was born in France to Ivorian parents, made his debut for theIvory Coast national team in 2016. He was selected for theAfrica Cup of Nations in2017,2019,2021, and2023, winning the 2023 tournament.
Pépé was born inMantes-la-Jolie, Île-de-France, and grew up in the19th arrondissement of Paris.[4][5] He started his career originally playing as agoalkeeper for local side Solitaire Paris Est until he was 14 years old.[6] When his father Celestin, a prison guard, was transferred toPoitiers, Pépé began his senior career as an outfield player withPoitiers FC in theChampionnat de France Amateur 2 (fifth tier) in 2012–13.[7]
Pépé signed forAngers in 2013, and spent his first season with the reserves in the CFA 2.
He made his professional debut in the second round of theCoupe de la Ligue in a 2–1 home loss toArles-Avignon on 26 August 2014, as a 73rd-minute substitute forYohann Eudeline. His firstLigue 2 match was on 21 November 2014, starting in a 1–1Ligue 2 draw away toAjaccio.[8][9]
Pépé wasloaned toOrléans for the2015–16 Championnat National, and helped the club to promotion from the third tier as runners-up.[10] He returned to an Angers side playing inLigue 1 and which reached the2017 Coupe de France Final, where he started in a 1–0 loss toParis Saint-Germain at theStade de France.[11]
On 21 June 2017, Pépé signed a five-year deal withLille, for a maximum transfer fee of €10 million,[12] after being signed by head coachMarcelo Bielsa who had scouted the player by watching footage of every Ligue 1 game he had played in forAngers, before scouting him in person.[13][14] Pépé described Bielsa as "special" and a "great coach".[15] He started the season playing as astriker after being converted into playing the position under Bielsa, before finishing the season under the newLille head coachChristophe Galtier, playing as awinger.[16]
During the entirety of the2017–18 Ligue 1 season, he was a regular in a Lille side that narrowly avoided relegation, missing only two games and scoring 13 times, including two apiece in away wins atMetz andToulouse.[17]
On 15 September 2018, during the2018–19 Ligue 1 season, Pépé scored ahat-trick, including two penalties, in the 3–2 away win overAmiens.[18] Days later, it was confirmed by club presidentGérard Lopez thatBarcelona were among several clubs that were interested in signing him.[19] On 14 April 2019, Pépé scored a goal and provided twoassists in the 5–1 home win overParis Saint-Germain.[20] He finished the2018–19 Ligue 1 season with 22 goals, second only to PSG'sKylian Mbappé,[21] with 11 assists, and was named in theUNFPTeam of the Year and as the Lille Best Player of the season winning the Dogue de la saison award.[22][23][24]
On 1 August 2019, it was announced that Pépé had joinedPremier League clubArsenal in a then club-record fee of €80 million (£72 million),[25] eclipsing the previous record of €62 million forPierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Upon signing for Arsenal, he was handed the number 19 shirt.[26]
Pépé made his Arsenal debut in a 1–0 away win overNewcastle United on 11 August, as a substitute forReiss Nelson in the 71st minute.[27] His first start for the club came two weeks later in a 3–1 loss toLiverpool, in which he played the full 90 minutes.[28] He scored his first Arsenal goal, from the penalty spot, in the team's 3–2 home win overAston Villa on 22 September.[29] He scored his first European goals in Arsenal'sUEFA Europa League 3–2 home win overVitória de Guimarães on 24 October, two free-kicks.[30]
On 1 January 2020, Pépé scored Arsenal's first goal in a 2–0 home victory overManchester United, marking new head-coachMikel Arteta's first win.[31] On 16 February, Pépé scored once and assisted twice in a 4–0 win over Newcastle United. On 28 June, he scored his firstFA Cup goal in a 2–1 away win againstSheffield United in the quarter-finals, giving Arsenal the lead in the 25th minute from the penalty spot.[32] On 1 August, he played the whole 90 minutes of theFA Cup Final match against Chelsea to win his first club trophy as an Arsenal player, contributing the assist for Aubameyang's second goal.[33]
Pépé received the first red card of his career on 22 November 2020 in a 0–0 away draw againstLeeds United after clashing heads withEzgjan Alioski in the 51st minute.[34] On 2 February 2021, he beat two defenders before scoring in a game againstWolverhampton Wanderers; that goal was later voted as Goal of the Month for February on Arsenal's official website.[35][36]
On 24 February 2022, Pépé scored his first goal of the2021–22 Premier League season in a 2–1 win against Wolverhampton with an 82nd-minute strike, and was instrumental in the buildup of forcing an own goal in the 95th minute to cap a late comeback.[37]
Pépé played 112 games over all competitions for Arsenal, scoring 27 goals. He took no part in the start of the2022–23 season in his last month at the club.[38] On 25 August 2022, he joined Ligue 1 clubNice on loan for the remainder of the2022–23 season without an option to buy.[38]
Pépé moved toSüper Lig sideTrabzonspor on 8 September 2023.[39] He departed Arsenal on a free transfer, having had one year left on his contract.[39]
On 4 August 2024, Pépé signed forLa Liga clubVillarreal on a free transfer. He signed a two-year deal, and joined compatriotEric Bailly.[40] In his first season with the club, he made 28 appearances and contributed to 9 goals, scoring 3 times and providing 6 assists.
In July 2025, he signed a new deal to last until 2028.[41] He began the 2025–26 season in excellent form, earning theLa Liga Player of the Month award for August after standout performances that included two goals and an assist in Villarreal's opening three matches.[42]
Pépé was born in France to Ivorian parents.[43] He received a call up to theIvory Coast national team in November 2016, and was an unused substitute in the goalless draw away toMorocco in2018 FIFA World Cup qualification on 12 November.[44] He made his debut three days later in a friendly of the same score against his birth nation,France, at theStade Bollaert-Delelis inLens, playing the final four minutes in place ofMax-Alain Gradel.[45]
Pépé was named inMichel Dussuyer's 23-man squad for the2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, but took no part as the Elephants were eliminated in the group stage.[46]
On 24 March 2018, in a friendly againstTogo in France, Pépé scored his first international goals in the first half of a 2–2 draw.[47] He followed it three days later, with another goal in a 2–1 win againstMoldova in the same stadium.[48]
Pépé was called up for the2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.[49] He was absent from their quarter-final penalty shootout defeat byAlgeria, having been dropped forMax Alain Gradel due to a lack of form.[50]
At the2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, Pépé scored in a draw withSierra Leone and a win over holders Algeria in the group stage.[51]
Pépé missed over a year of international football between November 2022 and being chosen for the2023 Africa Cup of Nations.[52] At the tournament on home soil, he won a late penalty thatFranck Kessié converted to take the game to extra time and a penalty shootout victory over reigning champions Senegal,[53] en route to winning the title.[54]
Pépé is known as a quick and skilled attackingwinger who is comfortable on both flanks, but usually plays on theright wing cutting onto his left foot; he was also converted from playing in wide positions by former Lille head coachMarcelo Bielsa to play as astriker on either the inside or central channel.[16][55]
Pépé was involved in theAmazon Original sportsdocuseriesAll or Nothing: Arsenal, which documented the club by spending time with the coaching staff and players behind the scenes both on and off the field throughout their2021–22 season.[56][57]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Poitiers | 2012–13 | CFA 2 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | |||
| Angers II | 2013–14 | CFA 2 | 19 | 3 | — | — | — | 19 | 3 | |||
| 2014–15 | CFA 2 | 22 | 6 | — | — | — | 22 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 41 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 41 | 9 | |||
| Angers | 2014–15 | Ligue 2 | 7 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Ligue 1 | 33 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| Total | 40 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 47 | 3 | |||
| Orléans (loan) | 2015–16 | Championnat National | 29 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 8 | |
| Lille | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 36 | 13 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 38 | 14 | ||
| 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 38 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 42 | 23 | ||
| Total | 74 | 35 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 80 | 37 | |||
| Arsenal | 2019–20 | Premier League | 31 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6[c] | 2 | 42 | 8 |
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 29 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13[c] | 6 | 47 | 16 | |
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 23 | 3 | ||
| Total | 80 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 8 | 112 | 27 | ||
| Nice (loan) | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 8[d] | 2 | 28 | 8 | |
| Trabzonspor | 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 19 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 23 | 6 | ||
| Villarreal | 2024–25 | La Liga | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 3 | ||
| 2025–26 | La Liga | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[e] | 0 | 16 | 2 | ||
| Total | 40 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 44 | 5 | |||
| Career total | 351 | 88 | 24 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 31 | 10 | 416 | 105 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 53 | 11 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 March 2018 | Stade Pierre Brisson, Beauvais, France |  Togo | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | 27 March 2018 | Stade Pierre Brisson, Beauvais, France |  Moldova | 2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 23 March 2019 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Rwanda | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 5 | 13 October 2019 | Stade de la Licorne, Amiens, France |  DR Congo | 2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | 11 October 2021 | Stade de l'Amitie, Cotonou, Benin |  Malawi | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 16 January 2022 | Japoma Stadium, Douala, Cameroon |  Sierra Leone | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 8 | 20 January 2022 | Japoma Stadium, Douala, Cameroon |  Algeria | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 9 | 25 March 2022 | Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France |  France | 1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 16 November 2022 | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco |  Burundi | 4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 11 | 11 October 2024 | Laurent Pokou Stadium, San-Pédro, Ivory Coast | Sierra Leone | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Arsenal
Ivory Coast
Individual
Ivory Coast squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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