Nicolas Pepe may be on the verge of an Arsenal exit on loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 season, according to the latest reports. The Ivorian spent the majority of the previous season on the bench, failing to convince boss Mikel Arteta that he has a place in the starting lineup.
It's a disappointing scenario for Pepe, considering how much potential there was to work with when moving to the club. The 27-year-old joined in 2019 from LOSC Lille under Unai Emery, breaking the club-record transfer fee of £72million when he made the transfer to Arsenal.
The forward is yet to make an appearance this season though, with Bukayo Saka often preferred on the right wing. Despite that, Arteta claimed in pre-season that everyone had a fresh slate to work from going into the campaign: "The message is: this is a different season and everybody has a clean start.
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"Show us what you can do on the pitch, how you're going to behave with your team-mates, are you going to make the car faster - yes or no?"
Pepe had made appearances during the early friendly matches as part of the pre-season camp, but it soon became clear that he was not a preferred option for the manager, who had a front line in mind when picking his teams. Given the money he cost and could also be on when it comes to wages, a potential exit for first-team football could be on the cards.
According to Footmercato, Pepe is "interested" in a loan move to Ligue 1 side OGC Nice, with his agent holding a meeting over a potential switch. Given his displays in France, it could be the right type of move that reinvigorates the winger's career, something that could help all parties over the next season if it happens.
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