ARSENAL fear they could be left stuck with flop Nicolas Pepe this summer....CONTINUE READING
That’s because the £77million club record signing has so far attracted ZERO interest.
And it could raise question marks over a move for Leeds ace Raphinha – who plays in the position as Pepe.
Mikel Arteta and Edu are rebuilding Arsenal’s squad in their image before the new Premier League season.
Fabio Vieira has already arrived from Porto in a £34m deal.
And Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus could be next to join for over £50m.
But Arteta still wants fellow Brazilian Raphinha to be his new right-sided winger.
The Gunners submitted a bid for the Barcelona target yesterday.
However, Leeds are expected to reject it, with the offer nowhere near their £55m price tag.
And Arsenal will be left wondering what their next move is.
That’s because the Mail claims flop record signing Pepe could end up staying at the Emirates.
Despite being put on the transfer list for around £25m, the Ivorian is yet to receive one single approach from another club.
Pepe is tied down to Arsenal until 2024 on wages worth £140,000-a-week.
And should the Gunners fail to clear him from their books, Pepe’s presence could leave Arteta short on cash to make an improved Raphinha offer.
Arsenal are also struggling to offload Lucas Torreira after Fiorentina refused to make his loan permanent for a pre-agreed £13m fee.
That in turn could hinder Arsenal’s efforts to sign Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez, who is also wanted by Man United.
Pepe has been at Arsenal since 2019 after a move from Lille.
But he has managed just 27 goals in three years – 10 less than he scored in two years at his former club.
Pepe managed just one Premier League goal last season as Arsenal narrowly missed out on a top four finish to rivals Tottenham.
And Arteta has decided the time has come to cut Pepe loose, with Arsenal bracing themselves to make a huge loss.
However, they will need to first find an interested party, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus previously linked.
