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According to a report, Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe took a pay cut to ensure his successful loan transfer to Nice this summer.
THE LATEST: UNWANTED AT ARSENAL
Nicolas Pepe joined Arsenal in a £72m move from Lille in the summer of 2019 and never reached the heights he exhibited in France for large parts of his time at the Emirates. After the club’s patience grew cold, he became a fringe player in the past two seasons.
In fact, he made only eight starts across all competitions in the 2021/22 season.
In the few times he was considered, he failed to convince and looked like a man who was not interested in staying at the Emirates. In a bid to secure an Arsenal exit, his wages became a struggle for teams to match as the likes of Newcastle and Leicester City were interested in his services.
As the deadline transfer day was approaching and seeing he was no longer in Mikel Arteta’s plans, the Ivorian had to make a decision in order to ensure his move to French side Nice become a reality.
THE LATEST: DESPERATE TIME, DESPERATE MEASURE
Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe took a pay cut to ensure his successful loan transfer to Nice this summer.
The Ivory Coast international really struggled during his spell in North London and it was in the interest of him and the club that he left this summer, eventually sealing a loan move to Ligue 1 side Nice which came at a cost.
According to French newspaper L’Equipe, Pepe took Nice’s offer, taking a 25% pay cut to leave the Emirates Stadium for a return to France.
Pepe has scored just once in his six appearances for Nice so far.
THE VERDICT: NEEDED TO LEAVE
Pepe was clearly not in Mikel Arteta’s plans, so leaving Arsenal by any means possible was the best the winger could have done. It goes to show the mutual understanding between the parties, despite the circumstances.
