This article is part of Football FanCast's Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba's haircuts to League Two relegation battles...

When Nicolas Pepe arrived in a club-record £72m deal, it felt like Arsenal had entered into a new era. Despite missing out on Champions League football again, they had secured a quality of talent that had reportedly attracted interest from the likes of Bayern Munich. They were dining at the top table for signings once more.

But fast forward a couple of months, and the Ivory Coast international has been a peripheral figure at the Emirates. Coming in from a different country, and having to experience a new culture and lifestyle was always going to be difficult. And Pepe has been rather eased into first-team action. However, with the season now in December, and therefore almost at the half-way point, it seems almost unbelievable that the Gunners continue to keep him out of the firing line.

Arsenal are on a wretched run of form, with no wins in their last nine games across all competitions. Their last victory came against Vitoria in the Europa League -  the game that felt like the beginning of the Pepe show at the Emirates, after his pair of stunning free-kicks to cap a dramatic comeback. And yet for some reason, the 24-year-old has inexplicably been left out of the starting line-up for the past few games under both Unai Emery, and now Freddie Ljungberg.

The Gunners' new interim head coach opened up on Pepe's lack of game-time earlier in the week, and suggested that he will hold talks with the winger about how he plans to use him. But against Brighton at home on Thursday night - a team that was languishing in the bottom half of the table - Ljungberg chose to leave the former Lille man on the bench again, instead turning to him at half-time when he knew the side just didn't look threatening at all (they had just two shots on target in the first-half).

The longer Ljungberg continues to side-line the three-goal star from the first-team, the more difficult it becomes for the Ivorian to make his mark as he looks to adjust to the pace and intensity of English football. And for the team as a whole, leaving your club record signing on the substitutes bench as you endure a win-less run just doesn't look right at all. It's an issue that needs to be sorted out.

Meanwhile, Arsenal would be taking a major gamble by appointing this former club hero.