€80m Arsenal flop makes SURPRISING transfer U-turn
Tom Weber
- 4 Sep 2023 09:52 CDT
- 3 min read
Nicolas Pepe will leave Arsenal after all even though Deadline Day has come and gone, according to a report.
The Gunners' erstwhile record signing has been in transfer purgatory all summer. Despite repeatedly being linked with different clubs, Pepe remained on the books at Arsenal as the window shut for most of Europe.
Having failed to live up to his price tag, Arsenal are apparently so desperate to get rid of the €80 million man that they have reportedly been considering terminating his contract, but they would naturally prefer to recoup at least a small fraction of their original outlay.
READ: Arsenal's 10 most expensive transfers of all time
During the summer, the 28-year-old had been in talks with Besiktas but a move never materialised. Towards the end of the window, Saudi clubs and even Bundesliga sides were reportedly eyeing Pepe, who spent last season on loan at Nice, where he scored six goals.
Pepe set for Turkey
Mikel Arteta recently revealed that talks over a potential departure were still ongoing. "We are still looking for solutions and there is a lot of communication between his agent and the player and the club at the moment," the Spaniard said.
Now, it seems that those talks have reached a successful conclusion. According to L'Equipe, Pepe will be heading to Besiktas after all.
After rejecting the Turkish giants earlier in the summer, the Ivorian has now made a U-turn regarding a move to Istanbul, where the transfer window is still open until September 15.
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The details of the transfer were not disclosed by the French outlet, but Pepe is said to currently be in Paris completing all the medical examinations ahead of his move.
At Besiktas, the 28-year-old will link up with ex-Gunner Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and a host of former Premier League players like Arthur Masuaku, Cenk Tosun, Daniel Amartey and Rachid Ghezzal.
