It's no secret that several Arsenal players are available on the market if suitable offers come in this summer, and Nicolas Pepe is very likely to fall into that bracket.
football.london reported back in January that the 27-year-old was considering his options following a lack of game time, a situation that hasn't seen any changes since. The importance of Bukayo Saka and the bright displays from Gabriel Martinelli has seen Pepe start on the bench more often than not, or feature in the cup competitions.
Although there will certainly be more opportunities for him next season with the return of European football and the introduction of five substitutions, Mikel Arteta still runs the risk of having an unhappy and disgruntled player in his squad, because the chances of Pepe starting most weeks remain low.
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This is something Arteta has touched on before, highlighting the negative effect it can have on the rest of the dressing room and it's a scenario he is keen to avoid. It must be said that there doesn't appear to be a problem with Pepe at the moment and his latest Instagram post suggests quite the opposite, but the risk of unsettlement still exists.
The Ivorian international posted pictures from the U.S. tour along with the caption: 'I worked hard during the summer. Change a lot of things. I'm focused and determined with Arsenal and my teammates.'
Credit must be given to Pepe for his professionalism during what is undoubtedly a frustrating time in his career, however, it's not likely to change the stance of Arteta and technical director Edu, who have ambitions to move the club forward and build on what they already have, it's a key factor in how they are now operating. So despite Pepe's positive approach, his Arsenal future remains unstable.
This was hinted at by Edu himself as he spoke to Sky Sports about the summer window so far and remaining plans. When asked about the difficulties of offloading players, the Brazilian explained how the process can be made slightly easier.
"No (It's not easy), but it's a part of our job to try to create some opportunities for the players," he said. "I think the most important thing is to make the player understand why he is here or why he needs to go, and then we have to create some possibilities with the player's agents and try to find the best solution possible for the player.
"As soon as you give to them a clear idea of what you want to do, it helps the situation. It's a challenge because you have to find clubs, situations and loans. But again, if you can be direct to the player in a very respectful way, that helps a little bit to make the best decision."
With Pepe already considering his future and recently switching agents, talks similar to the above have and no doubt will take place between the club and his representatives. When you factor in that he is now in his late twenties and will be keen on playing as much as possible, the reality of an exit becomes all the more likely. Additionally, there will also be an eagerness to get his wages off the books, which are likely to be big and potentially problematic.
Pepe's exit would leave Arsenal in need of a replacement to provide competition on the flanks and PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo remains a potential target for the club, football.london understands. Voetbal International are reporting that the Gunners have 'reignited' their interest in Gakpo, but add that talks will have to wait until the latter stages of the window due to PSV's Champions League qualifiers.
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