Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

Have Arsenal finally found a buyer for winger Nicolas Pepe?

By Adam Schultz

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 16: Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal during the pre season friendly between Arsenal and Everton at M&T Bank Stadium on July 16, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 16: Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal during the pre season friendly between Arsenal and Everton at M&T Bank Stadium on July 16, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe is reportedly interested in heading back to France on loan, with OSG Nice rumoured to be a potential destination.

Since arriving at the Emirates, the 27-year-old has underwhelmed as he signed for a club-record £72m fee in 2019.

Much of his time has been spent coming on as a substitute, and when his chance does come to start, the Ivorian doesn’t seem to be at it. His performances have been up and down, so much so that the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, and even Marquinhos are potentially ahead of him in the pecking order.

It has been thought that Arsenal will look to offload the winger this summer with no options coming forth until now.

According to Footmercato, Pepe is reportedly interested in heading back to France on loan with Nice as the winger’s agent has held a meeting with the team.

Have Arsenal finally found a buyer for winger Nicolas Pepe?

The French side offers Pepe an escape from the Emirates, and given how his career took off in Ligue 1 before his Premier League switch, a move back might just be the best thing for the 27-year-old.

Given the current state of the Arsenal squad, Pepe is likely to be used mainly off the bench. His starts could come in the cup competitions and the Europa League this season.

Arsenal will not recoup the enormous amount of money that was spent on the winger, but a loan move away might just be the next best thing for him to rediscover his form and potentially increase his value.

https://twitter.com/DeanJamesAFC/status/1559620591233163264?s=20&t=JqCET_sfsz3M7IMrMsc5wQ

We have seen Arsenal loanees do well in France. William Saliba is a prime example, while Nuno Tavares and Folarin Balogun have both started on fire with their respective teams.

For Pepe, he needs a circuit breaker to reset his career. They say a change is as good as a holiday, and, for the Ivorian, a loan move could be the best possible thing for him.

Whether it happens or not remains to be seen, but it seems clear that both Nice and Pepe are interested in getting a loan deal done.

Home/Arsenal Transfer Rumours