£72m Arsenal FLOP approached by Saudi club – Arteta “eager” to sell him
By Kian Long
Arsenal are currently out in the United States as they prepare for their pre-season tour. One of the players who hasn’t travelled is Nicolas Pepe. Having recently returned from loan, fans are pretty much unanimous that he should be sold this summer. Further, Mikel Arteta is in agreement with the fans, since he hopes to return some of the losses made on Pepe.
Of course, given that Pepe was signed for £72m, the Gunners will be nowhere near profit or breaking even. But still, selling the Ivorian is absolutely essential to free up space in the squad and balance the books after some heavy spending.
Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe approached by Saudi club
According to James Benge of CBS Sports, Nicolas Pepe has been approached by a “midtable Saudi Arabian club”. However, at this stage, there is thought to be a dispute between Pepe and the club over his agreed wages. From Arsenal’s perspective, they want the sale to happen but if not, they are considering the termination of his contract to save paying the final year of his big salary.
- Inter ready to make €40m offer for Folarin Balogun (w/ the excellent @fraporzio95)
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) July 17, 2023
- Arsenal unlikely to rush their response with PL suitors in the mix
- Nicolas Pepe approached by Saudi club, significant difference in wage expectations between parties https://t.co/oywkjWN3kv
Look, some things don’t work out. Pepe was once the record transfer at Arsenal, until only a few days ago when Declan Rice was signed. It would be easy to look at his £72m price tag and point fingers at the recruitment team and rightly so. However, given the appointment of Edu Gaspar, the recruitment team is one of the best in the world now.
Where do you think Nicolas Pepe will play next season, if not at Arsenal?