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Alex Brotherton

Nightmare over: Arsenal's £72m flop Nicolas Pepe poised to move to Trabzonspor after snubbing Saudi interest

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Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe looks set to join Turkish side Trabzonspor as a free agent, four years after he became the Gunners' club record signing.

  • Pepe to leave Arsenal for Trabzonspor
  • Attacker cost Arsenal £72m in 2019
  • Pepe's relationship with Arteta is frosty

WHAT HAPPENED? According to journalist Yagız Sabuncuoglu, Pepe will join Trabzonspor when his Arsenal contract - which expires next year - is terminated, allowing him to travel to Turkey to sign for the club.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Ivorian winger has endured a torrid time at Arsenal since his £72m move from Lille in 2019 and is not part of Mikel Arteta's plans. He has scored 27 goals in 112 appearances for the club. The Gunners tried to offload him to an unnamed Saudi Arabian club this summer after a proposed transfer to Besiktas fell through, but Pepe rejected the move.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PEPE? Pepe was one of the most sought-after talents in European football when Arsenal signed him four years ago, but his stock has dropped to the point where the club are having to terminate his contract. The 28-year-old will look to resurrect his career in Turkey.

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