Nicolas Pepe’s future at Arsenal is uncertain after a £4 million-a-year deal with Saudi Arabia fell through.
The Arsenal winger is looking for a way out of the club, as he is no longer in manager Mikel Arteta’s plans for the first team.
The Ivory Coast international spent last season on loan at Nice, and after returning to Arsenal, he was left out of the squad’s pre-season tour, along with Albert Sambi Lokonga and Cedric Soares.
According to CBS, Pepe will not be the latest name to move to the Middle East after talks between the player and an unnamed Saudi Pro League club on a £4 million-a-year contract fell through.
Pepe had hoped to join the likes of Ruben Neves, Edouard Mendy, and N’Golo Kante in leaving the Premier League for the riches of Saudi Arabia, but he is now stuck at the North London club.
Nicolas Pepe has seen a move to an unnamed Saudi Arabian club fall through as he searches for a new club.
Pepe is not in manager Mikel Arteta’s plans and was not included in the club’s pre-season tour.
When he joined Arsenal for £72 million from Lille in 2019, he became the club’s record signing, but he has struggled to live up to the hype.
Pepe scored 27 goals in 112 appearances in three seasons at The Emirates before being loaned out last year.
He scored eight goals in 28 games for Nice, alongside former Premier League players Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley, as the French club finished ninth in Ligue 1.
Pepe’s chances of breaking into the Arsenal first team have been hampered further by the £65 million arrival of Kai Havertz from Chelsea, one of three big-name summer signings made by the Gunners.
Along with Havertz, the Gunners have signed Jurrien Timber from Ajax and spent £105 million more than they did on Pepe to bring in Declan Rice.
Pepe may not be going to Saudi Arabia, but the league is still looking to the Premier League for new players, with Jordan Henderson and Riyad Mahrez set to join the exodus.
Henderson will be the first England international to join Al Ettifaq, where he will work with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, who has taken over as manager.
While Mahrez will sign a three-year contract with Al-Ahli after Manchester City agreed to a £30 million deal with the Saudi club.
