Nicolas Pepe’s anticipated Arsenal departure means that Arsenal will need to sign a winger at the end of the season. Edu can strengthen in this area by stealing Manchester United’s reported proposal for Ousmane Dembele.
Pepe’s future is uncertain at the club as according to the Evening Standard, Arsenal will sit down with the winger and his agent at the end of the season to discuss his future. The winger has two years left on his deal and is expected to leave in the summer.
This news came before reports from Spanish outlet El Chringuito that Manchester United has offered Dembele a net salary of around £12m-a-year. The Frenchman’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and it is a deal Arsenal can explore after previously showing interest in the player.
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The Spanish report also claims Dembele’s agent has had a meeting with Arsenal. The Frenchman’s contract expiring at the end of the campaign is a blessing for Edu as it allows him to save finances to strengthen in other areas of the squad.
Dembele had been constantly criticised in the past for his injury issues since joining Barcelona in 2018. But since the closure of the January transfer window, he has shown the form that is reminiscent of his time at Borussia Dortmund which persuaded the Catalan side to pay £100m for his services.
If Arsenal were to sign him, he would improve the squad with his direct play. His blistering pace will also provide breathing space for Bukayo Saka who has seemed to look burnt out at times this season due to the responsibility Mikel Arteta puts on his shoulders.
It appears Arteta does not see Pepe as a trustworthy option despite being the replacement for the youngster. He has featured heavily on the substitutes bench without receiving many minutes this season.
Dembele’s time at Barcelona has certainly hurt his reputation, but the Catalan club should take a lot of blame for this due to their issues on and off the pitch. Both Phillipe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann also joined for major transfer fees and struggled at Barcelona, but they thrived elsewhere when given the opportunity, which is a fate that Dembele could also follow.
Manchester United’s interest in the Frenchman highlights that the highly-rated winger would be open to a move to the Premier League. If that if the case then Arsenal should position themselves to make sure that north London is his destination.
