Arsenal report: Three clubs interested in shock move for Nicolas Pepe
Arsenal record signing Nicolas Pepe could well depart the Emirates Stadium in the final hours of the window
Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe is subject of a late transfer battle that could see the record signing leave the Emirates Stadium late on.
Pepe has underwhelmed since his mammoth £72m arrival from Lille, glittering sporadically under both Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta. Since Bukayo Saka's rise to becoming Arsenal's standout star, the Ivorian has struggled for game time on the right-wing, too.
Now, there are apparently three clubs interested, with 90min reporting interest from across Europe.
Despite Pepe's limited plans as part of the Arsenal side, it seems too late to sort a full transfer. It's far more likely that the 26-year-old would be granted his exit from London Colney in the form of a loan deal with two and a half years left to run on his current contract.
Pepe has had glimmers of brilliance for the Gunners and was a key member of the 2020 FA Cup-winning side. But too often during his time in north London, he's struggled with inconsistency.
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Former manager Emery even claimed at one stage that Pepe was a second-choice target behind Crystal Palace's Wilfred Zaha, an international teammate of Pepe's.
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With Arsenal chasing Alexander Isak before the deadline tonight, it could be that Real Sociedad are one of the unnamed sides interested in the player. The other interest is reportedly from Germany and France.
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Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.