Mikel Arteta is reportedly ready to offload Nicolas Pepe for just a fraction of the £72million club record fee Arsenal paid for him after accepting the winger is no longer part of his plans.
Pepe has struggled to force his way into Arteta's selection on a regular basis and has ultimately failed to deliver on the high expectations of him following his move from Lille three years ago. Several Arsenal stars remain ahead of Pepe in the pecking order with Arteta keen to add another winger to his ranks after missing out on Raphinha to Barcelona.
Now the Gunners boss is prepared to accept a cut-price offer for the Ivorian with a number of clubs lining up for his signature. Sevilla, Marseille and Lyon are all tracking the 27-year-old with a view to signing him this summer, while Leeds could use some of the £55m from Raphinha's sale to make a bid.
Diario de Sevilla claim that Sevilla have already been involved in discussions with Arsenal over Pepe's potential sale, though are so far baulking at the figures involved to land his services. The report claims that Sevilla are only willing to stump up £15million by way of a transfer fee - a far cry from the extortionate sum Arsenal shelled out to bring Pepe to the Emirates.
Pepe still has another two years left on his contract but Arsenal are said to be willing to do business at just £25m, conceding an almost-£50m loss on the player. A permanent exit would also rid Arsenal of Pepe's 100,000-per-week wages, though he would have to accept a pay cut himself if he wants to complete a switch to Sevilla.
That could open the door to Marseille and Lyon. A move back to Ligue 1, where Pepe performed so well previously, could appeal to the star, who will be keen to get his career back on track after a testing period in North London.
Should Arsenal cut their losses with Nicolas Pepe? Have your say in the comments below.
Pepe has so far made 111 appearances during his spell with Arsenal, scoring 27 times in the process. He does still have a chance to stake a claim for the season ahead, as he is currently out on tour with the first team in the US.
However, Arteta has already outlined what Pepe needs to do if he wishes to break into his starting XI. Speaking back in December, Arteta said: "Obviously with the amount of games we have are having, there's not enough room for all those players. With Nico's situation it's something similar. I've highlighted on many occasions it's because of what I see every day.
"That's with Nico as well. But he needs more opportunities to show what he can do and in the last few games, he hasn't had them. I have to try to make that decision on what I see every single day. And to be fair, Nico is really willing and really willing to help the team.
"The reality is that the position he is playing, Bukayo [Saka] has been playing regularly there and he's been fantastic. So it's not been easy for him to find that time."
