Nicolas Pepe nears Arsenal transfer exit with agent spotted at new club based on Mikel Arteta demand
As Mikel Arteta looks for more acquisitions before the transfer window shuts, Nicolas Pepe might eventually leave Arsenal this summer.
Arsenal midfielder Nicolas Pepe may be on the verge of leaving the Emirates Stadium after his agent was sighted in France.
Pepe joined Arsenal in 2019 for a club-record £72 million fee, but he has struggled to reproduce his brilliance at Lille since moving to north London. With the development of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Emile Smith Rowe in Mikel Arteta’s team, the Ivorian international has subsequently slid down the pecking order, leaving Pepe as a rotation option at best.
After making only 23 appearances in all competitions last season, the acquisition of Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira has only hampered the 27-year-hopes old’s of getting into the first squad. Arsenal are reported to be looking for a’mystery winger’ before the transfer market closes. If Pepe leaves north London, combined with Reiss Nelson’s current setback, the Gunners would almost certainly need to acquire a new forward before the transfer deadline.
On Sunday, Pepe’s agent, Louis Ferrer, uploaded a photo from Ligue 1 side Nice’s Allianz Riviera Stadium, with Footmercato suggesting that the 27-year-old is “interested” in a loan transfer to Ligue 1 club OGC Nice after a meeting with his agency.
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This summer, Nice have already signed former Arsenal player Aaron Ramsey and ex-Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
The Gunners were successful in loaning out French defender William Saliba, who had a fine season with Marseille last season. Saliba returned to the Emirates Stadium this summer and has maintained his excellent form, starting the north Londoners’ first two Premier League games with Gabriel Magalhaes in defence.
Mikel Arteta will be looking for a similar conclusion with Nuno Tavares, who joined Marseille on a season-long loan deal this summer, while Pepe may aim to follow in the footsteps of Saliba if he secures a loan agreement with Nice for the 2022/23 season.
Arsenal is presently focused on finding solutions for a number of periphery players, having previously lost Lucas Torreira and Bernd Leno on permanent agreements, as well as Pablo Mari and Alex Runarsson on loan.
Pedro Neto, Yeremy Pino, and Cody Gakpo have all been mentioned as prospective offensive acquisitions before the transfer season ends, and Pepe’s departure might provide room for one of those rumoured targets. Arteta has made it obvious that he wants additional acquisitions as he attempts to restructure his team, with Arsenal looking like a dangerous Premier League potential so far this season.
