Arsenal: £140k-a-week player now ‘won’t play again’ at the Emirates
According to GIVEMESPORT, Nicolas Pepe, a winger for Arsenal, is currently on loan at Nice in Ligue 1 because he is not included in Mikel Arteta’s plans for the Emirates Stadium. This information was provided by Dharmesh Sheth, a Sky Sports reporter.
Nicolas Pepe was signed by Arsenal from Lille in 2019 for a transfer fee of £72 million during the tenure of Unai Emery as the manager. There were high expectations for Pepe at the time of his arrival in North London.
Despite high expectations, Pepe did not perform as expected during his time at Arsenal, and Arteta has been unable to build his team around the winger.
The Sun has reported that Arsenal plans to let go of seven players in the upcoming transfer window, including Pepe, who is the club’s record signing.
However, the report also suggests that despite having just one year left on his £140,000 per-week contract, there has been no interest from potential buyers for Pepe.
Simon Collings, a journalist for the Evening Standard, has reportedly told GIVEMESPORT that Arsenal must find a way to sell Pepe and get him out of the Emirates Stadium.
Dharmesh Sheth also shares this opinion, stating that Pepe is unlikely to play for Arsenal again and is expected to leave during the summer transfer window.
Nicolas Pepe won’t play for Arsenal again
Sheth told GIVEMESPORT: “Mikel Arteta is building his own team. He’s made his mind up, and Pepe isn’t part of those plans. I think if Arsenal can do a deal in the summer and sell the player, then they will be making a loss, no question about it, but I can’t personally see Pepe playing for Arsenal again.”
Pepe’s performance at Arsenal has been disappointing considering his high transfer fee, and it may be in the best interests of both the player and the club to part ways as soon as possible.
Pepe has scored 27 goals and provided 21 assists for Arsenal in his 112 appearances, suggesting that his goal production was not entirely ineffective.
However, he has rediscovered his form at Nice after recovering from a knee injury, and it appears that Arsenal will not be able to recoup the full amount they paid for him.
Nonetheless, selling him for a portion of the transfer fee and reducing the wage bill could provide Arteta with the funds he needs to secure his desired transfer targets in the upcoming summer window.
Arsenal: £140k-a-week player now ‘won’t play again’ at the Emirates