3 potential destinations for Nicolas Pepe
Big things were expected from Nicolas Pepe when he joined Arsenal for club-record £72 million from Lille FC in the summer transfer window of 2019.
However, the Ivory Coast international has failed to justify the transfer fee the Gunners paid to sign him. He has played 80 English Premier League games for the club so far, scoring 16 goals.
Arsenal will sit down at the end of the season with Nicolas Pépé and his agent to discuss his future. The winger has two-years left on his deal and is expected to leave in the summer.
🚨 Arsenal will sit down at the end of the season with Nicolas Pépé and his agent to discuss his future. The winger has two-years left on his deal and is expected to leave in the summer.
(Source: Evening Standard) https://t.co/XPTmxcFIu8
Pepe fell down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium last season, starting just five EPL games. According to the Daily Mail, the former Lille attacker wants to leave the Gunners in this transfer window.
On that note, here's a list of three potential destinations for the winger should he decide to move on.
#3 West Ham United
According to The Independent (via Hammers.com), West Ham United have shown interest in signing Nicolas Pepe recently.
Signing a new attacker will be a key priority for David Moyes, considering his lack of options upfront. Moyes only has Andriy Yarmolenko, Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma as senior attackers in the squad.
Pepe's style of play should tune in well with Moyes's tactical philosophy, who likes his team to play counter-attacking football. The Ivory Coast international also has experience of European football, which could play a key role in the Hammers' UEFA Europa Conference League campaign.
According to the Sun, the Gunners are demanding a transfer fee in the region of £25 million for Pepe. It remains to be seen if David Moyes is willing to pay that sum to bring the Ivory Coast international to the London Stadium.
#2 Newcastle United
Only Vincent Aboubakar (5) has been directly involved in more goals at #AFCON2021 than Nicolas Pépé (3).
A goal and an assist for the Arsenal man against Algeria this evening. ⚽️🅰️
#TeamCotedIvoire https://t.co/dDKHSsFcNM
Newcastle United struggled offensively last season, scoring just 44 goals in 38 league games. Eddie Howe will look to sign a new attacker as he prepares for a major overhaul of his squad under new ownership this summer.
Pepe is an explosive attacker who is known for his pace, dribbling skills and aerial ability. According to WhoScored, he averaged 1.2 shots, one dribble, and a 0.9 aerial duel win per 90 last season. He also completed 83.7 per cent of his passes in the league.
According to L'Équipe (via Sport Witness), Bayer Leverkusen attacker Moussa Diaby is a priority signing for the Tyneside club this summer. However, the German side are reportedly demanding a transfer fee in the region of £63 million(as per DailyMail) to sell the France international. They could look to sign Pepe if they fail in their pursuit of Diaby.
#3 Paris Saint-Germain
According to Foot Mercato (via ESPN), Paris Saint-Germain are eyeing a move for Nicolas Pepe. PSG see the winger as a replacement for Angel Di Maria, who is set to leave the club as a free agent.
The winger enjoyed massive success during his time in Ligue 1 with Lille OSC. He played 74 league games during his time at Stade Pierre Mauroy, scoring 35 goals. He was named in the 'UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year 2018-19 and also won the 'UNFP Player of the Month' accolade twice.
According to the aforementioned source, the Gunners have offered Pepe to several clubs in recent weeks. However, offloading him could be difficult due to his massive wages (£140,000 per week).