Pepe breaks silence on Arsenal exit after transfer nightmare ends

Arsenal news as Nicolas Pepe's £72million nightmare at the club has come to an end with the Ivory Coast star sending a message to the Gunners supporters

The 28-year-old joined the Gunners in 2019 for a then club-record fee of £72million. He made 112 appearances, scoring 27 goals and assisting another 21.

Having been a mainstay in the Arsenal squad in the first two years, Pepe's failure to adapt to English football saw him join OGC Nice on loan last season. However, his return to France was short-lived with injuries preventing him from replicating the form that convinced the Gunners to sign him.

On Saturday, Arsenal's statement read: "We can confirm that Nicolas Pepe is leaving the club. We have agreed with Nicolas to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

"Ivory Coast international Nicolas, who joined us from French side Lille in summer 2019, won the FA Cup with us in 2020, assisting our winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea. During his time at the club, the forward has made 111 appearances for us in all competitions.

"The 28-year-old, who had one year left on his contract, spent last season on loan at Ligue 1 side Nice, where he made 28 appearances, scoring eight goals during the campaign. Everyone at Arsenal thanks Nicolas for his contribution during his time with us and wish him well for the future."

Following confirmation of his departure, Pepe took to Instagram to send a message to supporters. Sharing Arsenal's official post on the social media platform, Pepe wrote: "Gunners Fam *red heart* *salute emoji*."

Pepe's agreement with Trabzonspor was announced prior to Arsenal's statement on the winger. The Turkish club posted a picture of the Ivory Coast international on a private jet with their home jersey alongside a video of him with a message to their fans.

Cedric Soares is likely to be the next player to leave Arsenal. football.london revealed in the latter stages of the summer transfer window that the defender was among several players whom the club were open to selling.

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