Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly struggling to offload Nicolas Pepe this summer as he seeks to replace him with the signing of Leeds United star Raphinha.
The Gunners spent big on signing Pepe from Lille three years ago, but the Ivory Coast international has proven a major disappointment in his time at the Emirates Stadium.
Now it seems Arsenal want to shift their record signing, with the pursuit of Raphinha a clear signal that he’s not in Arteta’s plan, but it’s proving difficult, according to Goal.
Despite Pepe’s struggles at Arsenal, he showed tremendous natural talent at Lille, and it’s slightly surprising there aren’t more clubs willing to take a gamble on him, perhaps on loan.
It shows just how far his stock has fallen at Arsenal, and fans will surely be gutted at how badly this exciting-looking deal ended up working out for them.
The arrival of Pepe in the summer of 2019 looked like a major statement by Arsenal, but he’s now sure to go down as one of their worst signings of recent times.