Arsenal Reportedly Ready to Rip up Record Signing’s Contract After Underwhelming Spell

• It is doubtful that Ivorian Nicolas Pepe will feature for Arsenal again
• He spent the last season out on loan at OGC Nice in the French Ligue 1
• The Gunners are reportedly ready to cut their losses and sell Pepe off

It may be the end of the road for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal, as the club is reportedly prepared to offload the talented winger for cheap.

Despite signing Pepe for a club-record fee of £72 million in 2019, the Gunners are said to be willing to cut their losses and oversee his departure early.

The Ivorian spent the 2022/23 season at OGC Nice and was not part of the formidable Arsenal team that challenged Manchester City for the Premier League title.

According to Goal, the French club will not be pursuing a permanent deal, which at the moment means Pepe may be going back to Arsenal following his loan spell.

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The Ivory Coast international still has 12 months left on his current Arsenal contract, but there is speculation the North London club are considering ripping up his contract.

Notably, the 28-year-old is unlikely to be integrated into the first team due to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli proving themselves formidable forces on the flanks.

For now, the ball is in Arsenal’s court, but the chances of Pepe playing in the famous Red and White shirt are extremely low, according to CaughtOffside.

Pepe’s stats at Arsenal

There was a lot of excitement when Pepe initially signed for the Gunners from Lille in 2019. His flair and lethal left foot left many fans optimistic that he could help the club reclaim their glory.

The fact that the Gunners broke their bank to acquire him also seemed to raise the stakes further, but the Ivorian's spell in North London has been anything but dreamy.

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He made a total of 112 appearances for Arsenal, but those appearances have yielded a mere 27 goals across all competitions - stats that prompted his club to ship him off to Nice on loan in 2022/23.

At the Ligue 1 club, he made a total of 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring 8 goals.

Arsenal's West Ham reality check

Sports Brief also reported on how former Scottish footballer, Ally McCoist handed Arsenal a brutal reality check when comparing their season to West Ham United.

The Scotsman believes the Hammers' recent success in the Europa Conference League sums up a good season for David Moyes’ side compared to that of the Gunners.

West Ham beat Fiorentina by two goals to one in the final of the third-tier European competition on June 7, to end the English club's long run without a major trophy.