Nicolas Pepe is likely to leave Arsenal during the summer transfer window.
After falling down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta, Pepe spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Ligue 1 side OGC Nice. The Ivorian international has now entered the final 12 months of his contract with the north London club and he is expected to be one of many departures this summer.
The Gunners signed the 28-year-old from Lille for a £72 million fee back in 2019 but he has failed to repay that investment on the pitch. So, here's the latest news on Pepe's future at Arsenal as Arteta looks to sell him this summer.
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Pepe missed the final part of the 2022/23 season out injured and he doesn't appear to have returned to the club's London Colney training base ahead of their pre-season.
In fact, he has now taken to social media to post a video of himself working out in a gym on his own. Of course, he may still not quite be fit enough to take part in a full training session at the moment, uploading a video of him doing a recovery session with a personal trainer last week in some footage that also revealed him getting some treatment on his right knee.
Read more here.
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Interview admission
Pepe confirmed that he would be returning to Arsenal this summer ahead of a decision regarding his future at the Emirates Stadium.
"I will return to Arsenal. I was loaned without an option to buy so I have to go back to Arsenal," he told YouTube channel Colinterview, via the Metro during a recent interview.
"I don't know [about my future] yet. When I get back, I’ll speak with the coach and everyone and see what everyone's ideas are and then we'll make a decision."
Arsenal seeking buyers
Arsenal are seeking buyers for Nicolas Pepe and have no plans to reintegrate the club-record signing into their first-team squad ahead of next season.
OGC Nice decision
According to The Telegraph, Nice are not expected to pursue a permanent move for Pepe, having said at the end of the season that it was the “end of the Nice adventure” for the Ivory Coast international. Pepe played a total of 28 matches for the French club, scoring eight goals.
Pepe is one of the few remaining first-team players who were signed by Arsenal before Mikel Arteta’s appointment in December 2019.
Arsenal contract stance
Pepe is no longer a part of Arteta's plans after falling down the pecking order in the squad towards the end of the 2021/22 season. Arsenal are keen to receive a fee for him, but football.london understands plans have been made for the termination of his contract if required.
The arrival of Leandro Trossard in January will prove to be a replacement for the 28-year-old winger whilst the Gunners are looking to add another versatile forward to their squad this summer.
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