Arsenal record signing Nicolas Pepe is one of seven players who could be in line for a summer exit.
Ivorian winger Pepe joined the Gunners from Lille in 2019, in a deal worth £72m. He scored just 16 goals in 80 league appearances for the club and was loaned out to Nice in the summer with his opportunities in north London limited by Bukayo Saka's impressive form on the right.
Arsenal are expected to take a big hit on the 27-year-old, who has six goals in Ligue 1 this season and two more in the Europa League. He isn't the only senior star at risk of an exit over the summer as the Premier League leaders prepare to freshen things up.
According to The Sun, Nice might be prepared to take Pepe off the Gunners' hands at the end of the season, while the player himself appears open to the idea. However, Arsenal could be forced to waive a fee for a player whose contract runs until the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
Pepe is one of seven players currently out on loan who could be in line for permanent exits. The group includes Albert Sambi Lokonga, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Cedric Soares - all of whom are on loan elsewhere in the Premier League - and a trio of players spending the season overseas.
Nuno Tavares completed a temporary move to Marseille last summer, while Alex Runarsson is at Alanyaspor and Pablo Mari is in Italy with Monza. All of the players may find themselves looking for new clubs once those deals come to an end.
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Arsenal have been linked with further investment in their squad, regardless of whether they lift the Premier League. Mikel Arteta's side are eight points clear of closest challengers Manchester City, who have a game in hand and also host the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium in April.
Midfield target Martin Zubimendi appears set on remaining with current club Real Sociedad, while Moises Caicedo signed a new deal with Brighton after the Gunners' failed January pursuit. England midfielder Declan Rice, who scored for the Three Lions as they beat Italy in their first Euro 2024 qualifier, is another option.
Arsenal's title push this season owes a great deal to their work in the transfer market, with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale hailing the impact of new arrivals. "The additions of [Gabriel] Jesus and [Oleksandr] Zinchenko are a massive help. They’ve been there and done it," Ramsdale told Standard Sport.
"Jorginho now has come in and he’s been there and done it, [winning] every trophy other than the Premier League and the World Cup. So I think everyone has got a story, which has added more to it from last year and added more strings to their bow. At the minute it’s all working superbly well and we’re reaping the rewards."
Full list of players: Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Cedric Soares, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Pablo Mari, Alex Runarsson
