Arsenal may be able to offload Nicolas Pepe in the summer transfer window after Sevilla emerged as a potential suitor for the winger.
Pepe has endured a poor season with the Gunners, who are ready to overhaul their squad in the off-season. The 26-year-old has contributed just three goals and five assists in 21 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side, who are open to the prospect of selling him this summer.
The Ivory Coast international was signed from Lille for a club-record £72million in July 2019 and still has two years remaining on his £140,000-a-week contract. Those figures put Arsenal at a disadvantage in the transfer market and means that, if they do manage to sell, it will be for a big loss.
Sevilla’s sporting director Monchi is renowned for spotting value in the market and, according to SuperDeporte , has already contacted Arsenal about Pepe’s availability. But while Sevilla are weighing up the idea of signing him, they have drawn a line in the sand when it comes to a transfer fee, with Monchi ready to play hard ball.
The Sun reported last month that Arsenal would be willing to do business at £25m this summer, in order to cut their losses and recoup some of the money they splashed three years ago, rather than allow Pepe to run down his contract. French clubs Marseille and Lyon have been tentatively linked previously.
Arteta has played Bukayo Saka on the right of midfield this season and also has youngsters like Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe who are capable of playing in wide positions. The result is that Pepe has started just five Premier League matches all season.
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Pepe’s fall from grace was underlined on Sunday when he made a rare appearance off the substitutes’ bench to replace Saka in the second half against Leeds. He struggled to make any sort of impact and then was seen being given a dressing down by Arsenal coach Albert Stuivenberg after the final whistle blew following a mistake in the closing stages.
His sale would help provide valuable funds for Arsenal, who are set to be very busy in the summer, with two strikers, a midfielder and full-backs all believed to be on the shopping list. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gone and Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette soon to be out of contract, attack is a clear priority for sporting director Edu.
If he does leave, Pepe could be one of an exodus from north London, with back-up goalkeeper Bernd Leno and current loanees Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Pablo Mari and Konstantinos Mavropanos all potentially up for sale. Arsenal spent over £150m on six new players last summer and a similar recruitment drive could follow before the 2022/23 season, especially if, as expected, Arsenal seal their return to the Champions League.
