Arsenal Prepared to Face a £47 Million Loss To Offload Nicolas Pepe

Nicolas Pepe, Arsenal, West Ham, Newcastle United, sale

According to reports in England, Arsenal are now apparently willing to sell Nicolas Pepe in the upcoming summer transfer window. They are prepared to offer him to a Premier League rival for a cut-price fee.

On August 1, 2019, Arsenal broke their transfer record when they signed Nicolas Pepe from LOSC Lille for a smashing fee of £72 million in 2019. The Ivorian joined the Gunners as the club’s most expensive player after impressing in France. He was welcomed into the club with open arms despite some people having doubts about having paid such a high transfer fee for an unproven talent.

His tenure at the club has been rocky so far. Pepe has been at the Emirates for three seasons now and hasn’t been able to live up to his price tag even a bit. The 26-year-old, who mainly plays a right-wing forward, has put up pretty dismal numbers during his time at the North London side.

Nicolas Pepe, Arsenal — Image Obtained Via Pain In The Arsenal

16 goals and 8 assists in 77 Premier League appearances (stats via transfermarkt) are too low output for any forward playing at Arsenal, much less the most expensive player. Perhaps, it’s unfair to judge a player based on his price tag. Pepe has been disappointing, especially considering the expectations the Gunners had from the number 19.

The Ivorian has just managed 17 Premier League appearances this season with only 5 starts, often finding himself coming off the bench, managing just 37 minutes per 90 this season. This hasn’t gone unnoticed at the North London side, and they have decided to make a move.

According to The Express, the Ivory Coast international is now being offered for £25 million to various Premier League clubs, most notably West Ham. Arsenal are prepared to face a £47 million loss after losing patience with Nicolas Pepe, who just can’t seem to make it near Arteta’s starting eleven.

This is a surprising and disappointing turn of events, especially since Arteta showed trust in Pepe after his return from the AFCON, where he gave some scintillating displays for his country. The Spanish manager said:

“Since he has come back from AFCON, I think I have seen a different Nico as well. I don’t know what it is, probably he has realized the importance of the end of the season for him.”

However, his faith and hope in the Ivorian have seemingly diminished as the club are now prepared to offer the winger to direct rivals at a small fee. Previously, it was reported that Arsenal will wait till the end of the season to discuss the future of Nicolas Pepe. Now, it seems the Gunners are ready to sell him.

Should The Ivorian Make A Move To The London Stadium?

With Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals already performing for the Hammers, breaking into the first-team would be a difficult task for the 26-year-old winger. However, David Moyes’ pursuit of a new striker can lead to a shakeup in the West Ham dressing room.

Suppose Moyes is serious about his intentions to make West Ham a European competition regular. In that case, additions like that of Pepe can only benefit the club if they want to keep finishing in the top-6 in the coming years. You cannot have European football without being good in league football.

Having fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates, behind Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, West Ham can provide pastures anew for the forward. The move wouldn’t just be beneficial for the Ivorian but rather help West Ham solidify themselves as a team that vies for European competitions every season.

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