Trabzonspor, the Turkish Super Lig club, has officially announced the signing of Ivorian forward Nicolas Pepe from Arsenal. This move comes after the 28-year-old’s relatively disappointing four-year tenure at Emirates Stadium, following his high-profile £72 million transfer from Lille in 2019.
Pepe enjoyed the distinction of being Arsenal’s priciest player for four years until Declan Rice’s £105 million move from West Ham United in July eclipsed that record.
The Ivory Coast international. had previously showcased his talents with an impressive tally of 22 goals and 11 assists in his final season in Ligue 1 before his Arsenal switch. However, his transition to the demanding environment of the Premier League did not go as planned and he often found himself warming the bench for the Gunners.
Last season, Pepe was loaned out to Nice in an attempt to revive his career. Unfortunately, he faced a series of injuries, managing to score eight goals in 28 matches during his time there.
Upon returning to North London, Mikel Arteta informed Pepe that he had no place in the Arsenal squad. Consequently, both parties began working on a departure for the unsettled attacker.
While there were expectations of Pepe joining the Saudi Pro League revolution, his preference was to continue playing in Europe. Besiktas offered him an escape route, and he reportedly completed a medical examination with Senol Gunes’s team. However, the deal fell apart when Arsenal sought to revise the agreement’s terms, allowing Trabzonspor to seize the opportunity.
Pepe, whose Arsenal contract would have expired at the end of the season, is now believed to be signing a one-year contract with Trabzonspor, extending until 2024. The club officially unveiled him on Thursday night.
The transfer’s formalities were concluded on Friday morning with Pepe successfully coming through his medical.
