Arsenal are in advanced talks with Trabzonspor as they look to offload their 28-year-old winger Nicolas Pepe.
According to Fabrice Hawkins, Turkish club Trabzonspor are closing in on the signatures of Nicolas Pepe. They are in the final stages of negotiations with Arsenal. As a result, the 28-year-old could soon part ways with the London club.
After coming through the ranks at Angers SCO, Pepe joined LOSC Lille in the summer of 2017. Over the next two years, the 28-year-old went from strength to strength. He was a consistent performer for the French club and there were quite a few clubs keen on having him in their ranks.
The Gunners somehow managed to win the race for his services. They ended up paying a huge fee of around €80 million for Ivory Coast international. While he might not have lit up the world in his first season at Arsenal, the 28-year-old managed to rack up 18 goal contributions in 42 outings.
He followed it up with another decent season but Pepe never really reached the heights, the Gunners expected him to. In the 2021-22 season, he was no longer a guaranteed starter and things went from bad to worse post that.
Last season he was out on loan at OGC Nice. The 28-year-old featured in 28 matches and racked up 9 goal contributions. While he is back at his parent club, there is no place for him in that squad. Bukayo Saka has cemented himself as their starter and they have Reiss Nelson as a backup.
As a result, the Gunners are looking to offload the Ivory Coast international whose contract runs out next summer. They have no intentions of extending the right-winger’s stay at the club. As a result, offloading him now will allow them to recoup a small fraction of what they had invested back in the day.
While the transfer window in Europe is over, the window in Turkey is still open. And, Trabzonspor are keen on having Pepe in their ranks. They have been in talks with Arsenal for a while now. And, according to the report, the talks are in the final stages.
The Gunners are looking for €4 to €5 million for his services and Trabzonspor are likely to agree to their demands. Meanwhile, the player is expected to make a final decision in the near future. While there was interest from Saudi Arabia as well, the Middle Eastern clubs are a touch too late with their transfer window ending today.
