Mikel Arteta could have a major issue on his hands after Arsenal's technical director, Edu, appeared to heavily hint that Nicolas Pepe has no future at the club - on the same morning that the Ivorian winger made it clear that he is determined to salvage his Gunners career.
Pepe became the Londoners' club-record signing when he arrived in a £72million deal from Lille back in the summer of 2019. But the winger has failed to live up to expectations at the Emirates, where he has bagged just 27 goals in 112 appearances.
After becoming a peripheral figure at the end of last season, it was expected that Pepe would be moved on this summer. But very few potential suitors have emerged for the 27-year-old, who has featured during the Gunners' pre-season tour of the United States.
Pepe has insisted that he still harbours hopes of turning things around in the capital in a brutally honest Instagram post. He wrote: "I worked hard during the summer. Change lot (sic) of things. I'm focus and determined with @arsenal and my teammates."
His stance could change though after reading Edu's comments on several "big salary players" who have underperformed and been "killing" the club in recent years - a category that Pepe would fall into. Speaking on the club's pre-season tour, Edu said: "If a guy is performing and has a big salary, that's not a problem. When the player is 26-plus, big salary and he's not performing, he's killing you. You don't have a valuation to sell the player, the player is comfortable — Arsenal, London, beautiful, everything is fantastic — and a good salary.
"How many players with that kind of characteristics did we have in the past? 80 per cent of the squad. Try to avoid one more year with the problem in the dressing room. Take it out. Even if you have to pay because that guy is sometimes blocking someone."
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While it remains to be seen if Arteta has any appetite to persist with Pepe again this year, the fact that he has a player desperate to try and salvage his spot in the group and a director who is eager to cull any big-earning players not pulling their weight puts the Spaniard in an awkward spot.
The fact that Arsenal are reportedly trying to source a new winger this summer would indicate that Pepe has no future at the Emirates - and there have even been suggestions that the former Lille man could even be available for a knockdown price, with Newcastle and Everton said to be keeping tabs on the situation.
But if Arsenal do struggle to acquire a new wide-man, then Pepe could be handed a surprise reprieve by Arteta, who has already admitted that the club are still short in multiple areas.
And the Gunners chief could be left with a major headache - and a massively disenchanted player - if Arsenal do fail to offload Pepe in the wake of Edu's latest comments.
