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Arsenal have now prepared for 28-year-old’s contract to be cancelled this summer
Arsenal have now made financial arrangements to cancel Nicolas Pepe’s contract this summer if they need to.
Journalist Kaya Kaynak on his YouTube channel about the 28-year-old’s future.
Nicolas Pepe’s situation at Arsenal right now is far from ideal.
After an average loan spell at Nice last season, he’s yet to return to training.
Mikel Arteta admitted after Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester United yesterday that he had wanted that time away from the club to have gone much better.
The Ivorian international was Arsenal’s club-record signing before Declan Rice arrived this summer.
There were question marks over his fee at the time and he’s never been able to justify it.
He managed 11 goal contributions in each of his first two seasons, before seeing his minutes limited under Mikel Arteta.
Pepe has fallen further down the pecking order and Arsenal are now preparing in case they need to cancel his contract.
It’s a scenario the club will be looking to avoid and they’ll be hoping they can find a buyer before the transfer window shuts.
Arsenal have budgeted to cancel Pepe’s contract
Speaking on his YouTube channel about the 28-year-old’s future, : “I think if you’re a team that’s wanting to take over his wages which Nicolas Pepe’s wages are pretty high, I think in the £180,000-a-week mark, but I’m not certain on that.
“I don’t think those numbers are the kind that you’d be willing to take a risk on.
“I think Nicolas Pepe, in fairness to him, I believe to make that [loan] move happen was on a low wage, but I’m not 100% certain on that.
“I think his priority is to play football. I know that Arsenal in the budget that have made arrangements for, if necessary, and this is very much if necessary if Nicolas Pepe’s contract does need to be terminated.
“But that is maybe [only] a thing that they’ll want to do, or they’ll want to see how the window pans out, see what the interest is and see how this injury is.
“Teams don’t want to sign injured players, they want players who can come in and hit the ground running and get involved straight away.
“If Pepe goes and he’s injured, chances are he won’t pass the medical.”
Pepe will want his contract situation at Arsenal sorted as quickly as possible.
A move has already fallen through elsewhere and if Pepe knows he’s off, he’ll want as much time as possible to settle into his new surroundings.
His wages are likely to be the biggest issue for any buying club given he’s one of Arsenal’s top earners.
It will be a poor use of funds if they have to pay them off for Pepe to leave.