Undesirable at Arsenal, who is looking to sell him this summer, Nicolas Pepe could end up in Turkey at Besiktas, who wishes to sign the forward for… zero euros.
A sad London adventure for Nicolas Pepe. Irresistible at Lille during the 2018-2019 season, the Ivorian forward seems to have lost his talent since his transfer to Arsenal. Plagued by injuries, the Elephants’ player only stands out for poor performances during his rare appearances.
The endless loans of the 28-year-old player have not helped the situation of the Mantes-la-Jolie native, who has not found a taker. His 6 goals in 19 appearances last season at Nice had simply not convinced the Eagles, who sent him back to London at the end of his contract.
One more humiliation for the Ivorian international, rejected by everyone. Well, not everyone. Besiktas is interested in the former Lille player. The Istanbul club would like to secure the services of the Ivorian to strengthen their offensive sector. But as reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Turkish officials hope for a low transfer fee or simply a termination of the player’s contract. A condition that could scuttle the operation as Arsenal wants to recoup some of the 80 million spent to acquire him from Lille in 2019.
Pepe, on the other hand, has been excluded from the Gunners’ summer tour in the United States. His absence was justified by coach Mikel Arteta due to his player’s physical condition. “Right now, he’s recovering from an injury, that’s why he’s not here,” he said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“He had a loan period, and obviously we wanted to get much more than we got from that loan period. We need to see when we come back, understand what the plans are, and make the right decision for him,” the Spanish coach added on the player’s situation. Arsenal will face Manchester City on Sunday in the Community Shield, which is the curtain-raiser for the new season.
