Nicolas Pepe can play in the French league again. David Ornstein, journalist of the portal “The Athletic” informed about the details.
The Ivorian has been a footballer of Arsenal for three years. Before the start of the 2019/20 season, “Kanonierzy” paid 80 million euros for him, breaking the club’s transfer record.
In retrospect, this move by “The Gunners” should be considered a mistake. Pepe rarely proved that he was worth spending such a huge amount on him.
So far, the 27-year-old has played 112 games at Emirates, noting 27 goals and 21 assists. The winger was doing much better in Lille, where he took part in 79 matches, scoring as many as 55 goals.
Pepe is currently not Mikel Arteta’s first choice, who is much more likely to focus on Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the wings. There are many indications that the Ivorian will soon leave Arsenal on a loan.
David Ornstein reports that “The Gunners” started negotiations on this matter with Nice. The Côte d’Azur club is seriously interested in getting the 27-year-old.
The journalist from “The Athletic” points out that the deal is not finalized yet, but both parties hope that the negotiations will be successful. The key issue during the talks is the division of the player’s salary. If this aspect is resolved, Pepe will spend the next season in Nice.