Arsenal transfer rumours: Arteta eyes £25m Nicolas Pepe sale

Arsenal Would be Foolish to Turn Down £25m Offer for Nicolas Pepe

Quite a few will be bringing out the ‘I’d drive him to the airport myself’ line right about now.

Because yes, while he cost £72m and is the club’s record signing, if £25m were offered to Arsenal they would have to take it. It’d constitute a huge loss, and obviously more is wanted, but it would hopefully be the end of such transfer market failings as is being witnessed with the smart purchases made at the club over the past three windows.

Arsenal still haven’t paid Lille the full amount and moving Pepe on for £25m would probably just about cover what is left of the payments. Still, there will never be a moment where the amount parted with will ever be made back in performances and goals, so it’s an offer they’d have to take.

Whether they’d receive it or not is another matter entirely.

What is certain is that there will be a market for the Ivorian. Financially there will be some differences between clubs, but transition teams who like their forwards to have plenty of grass to run into will look at his record in a Lille team that played with such a style and see real potential.

In Arsenal’s possession oriented style he isn’t suited, and there are a host of clubs who could use Pepe in a way that would unlock his undisputed talent. While it may not be on show too often at Arsenal, the forward has bags of ability and could quite easily be getting closer to his 2018/19 numbers in the right environment and division.

With that all-important two-year period approaching on his contract at the end of the season, if he continues to play a peripheral role in the team then it will not only be Arteta looking for a change. A player in his supposed prime will feel wasted sitting on the Arsenal bench. Why would Pepe even want to stay?

In any case, whatever the outcome, Arsenal will make a fairly substantial loss on Pepe.