It's been another strong summer for Arsenal, who have backed Mikel Arteta with significant funds for the second consecutive year in a bid to carve out a route back to the Premier League's top table.
The Gunners were the biggest spenders in the country last summer and have already splashed out huge amounts of money this term to bring in the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira to bolster their squad.
And although the new campaign is still very much in its infancy, the early signs are promising for Arsenal, who currently boast a perfect record at the summit of the league.
Arsenal's recent transfer business has been deservedly lauded, but they have also made some serious mishaps in the market in recent years - with the club's technical director Edu himself culpable.
Part of the Brazilian's remit this summer has been trying to offload high-earning players who have become peripheral figures at the Emirates over the past few months, with Nicolas Pepe a prime example.
The Ivorian winger became the club's record signing when he was captured from Lille in a £72million deal back in 2019. However, Pepe has failed to live up to expectations in the capital and was deemed surplus to requirements by Arteta after bagging just 27 goals in 112 appearances.
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Even though first-team opportunities had come at a premium last year, Pepe hinted that he still had ambitions to salvage his Arsenal career in an Instagram post earlier this summer, where he insisted he was "focused and determined" at the club after working hard over the summer.
But Pepe's plea was not enough to win over Edu, who made it clear that he was not interested in accommodating high-earning players who were "killing" the club and causing a major dressing room issue by not performing - leaving Pepe in no man's land.
Speaking back in July, Edu told Sky Sports: "If a guy is performing and has a big salary, that's not a problem. When the player is 26-plus, big salary and he's not performing, he's killing you. You don't have a valuation to sell the player, the player is comfortable — Arsenal, London, beautiful, everything is fantastic — and a good salary.
"How many players with that kind of characteristics did we have in the past? 80 per cent of the squad. Try to avoid one more year with the problem in the dressing room. Take it out. Even if you have to pay because that guy is sometimes blocking someone."
Although it is believed that Pepe's salary has deterred numerous suitors, Edu has now finally got his wish after offloading the wide-man, who has joined Nice on a season-long loan.
The onus is now on the Gunners chief to continue with his cull and ensure other players on the periphery, such as Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, can also be offloaded before next week's transfer deadline.
But neither of those are believed to be in the same salary bracket as Pepe - which is why offloading the former Lille man is such a boost for Arsenal and Edu heading into the final week of the transfer window.
