Arsenal thought all transfer business was concluded last week – but the Gunners may yet close a deal that looked to be dead in the water
(Image credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Arsenal look like offloading a big-money winger, as Financial Fair Play restrictions come into play at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners spent big in the summer, investing over £200 million in the playing squad, as Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya all joined. Outgoings have been a little more disappointing, however: Folarin Balogun left for far less than the quoted £50m, with Kieran Tierney, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga all failing to find permanent transfers.
With the transfer window still not closed in either Saudi Arabia or Turkey, however, Arsenal have an opportunity to move players on – and have resurrected a deal which looked to be dead just recently.
Arsenal failed to recoup big fees this summer, including Folarin Balogun's sale (Image credit: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
90min reports that the north Londoners are going to receive a fee for offloading £72m signing Nicolas Pepe to Turkey in the coming days, with Besiktas still interested in a deal.
A move for the Ivorian looked to be off the cards weeks ago, with L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi reporting that Pepe had "refused the proposal" for the Turkish giants. With playing time extremely limited in Arsenal's current squad, however, and no better offers, there seems to have been a change of heart.
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Pepe spent last season on loan in Ligue 1 with Nice but failed to recapture the kind of form which saw him bought by former manager Unai Emery and former director Raul Sanlehhi for £72m in 2019. The winger struggled for consistency in the Premier League and was eventually deposed from the starting berth on the right flank by a young Bukayo Saka.
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Emery later opened up on how he wanted Pepe's international colleague Wilfried Zaha instead, at the time that the north Londoners shelled out for the now 28-year-old. Zaha is also now playing his football in Turkey with Galatasaray.
Nicolas Pepe was Arsenal's record signing until this summer (Image credit: Getty)
Pepe managed 27 goals in 112 games for Arsenal.
The France-born forward is valued at €18m by Transfermarkt.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
