Arsenal decided to terminate the contract of Nicolas Pepe this summer.
The 28-year-old had fallen down the pecking order at the North London club and Mikel Arteta wanted to get rid of him permanently. According to Football Insider, Arsenal have paid a seven-figure sum to terminate the contract of the Ivorian international.
The 28-year-old was on loan at French club OGC Nice last season and he did reasonably well for the Ligue 1 side. Pepe needed to sort out his long-term future this summer and the departure from the Emirates will be ideal for all parties.
Arsenal paid £72 million to sign the Ivory Coast international bank in 2019 but he has not been able to make the desired impact. The Gunners will be bitterly disappointed after failing to receive any transfer fee for the player.
Pepe had nine-and-a-half months left on his contract this summer but the Gunners have now decided to pay up and let him move on for good. The 28-year-old has signed for Trabzonspor and he will look to get his career back on track with regular football.
Nicolas Pépé signing his contract as new Trabzonspor player. Deal until June 2024 plus option for further year. 🔵🟣🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/adSon6ETDE
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 9, 2023
The 28-year-old was highly rated during his time at Lille but he never quite managed to live up to the expectations and fulfil his tremendous potential.
Arsenal have quality attackers like Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka after disposal. Pepe would have struggled for regular football at Arsenal if he had stayed at the club beyond this summer.
The 28-year-old will now look to rebuild his career with regular football at Trabzonspor and it remains to be seen whether he can make it immediate impact at his new club and impress with his performances.
Meanwhile, Arsenal could certainly use more depth in the attacking department and it remains to be seen whether they decide to sign a versatile attacker during the January transfer window.
The Gunners will be hoping to push for the league title this season after losing out to Manchester City last year and they could certainly use more quality and depth in the side during the second half of the campaign.
