Nicolas Pépé

Nicolas Pépé was once the most expensive African player in history when Arsenal signed him from Lille for over £70 million in 2019, a fee that ultimately proved a burden rather than a platform. His time in north London was defined by inconsistency — flashes of the explosive, two-footed winger who had terrorised Ligue 1 defences, but never sustained over a full season. Subsequent moves to Trabzonspor and now Villarreal have seen him rebuild quietly. At 31, he remains a threat on his day for Côte d'Ivoire, but the gap between his potential and his output has been the defining story of his career.