Monday's Arsenal transfer talk news roundup: Nicolas Pepe, Ezgjan Alioski, Houssem Aouar

The summer transfer window has now closed, with Arsenal pulling off one of the standout deals on deadline day.

The Gunners triggered the release clause of Thomas Partey to cap off a relatively busy summer which saw the likes of Willian and Gabriel Magalhaes join too, and attention will now begin to turn to January.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up the latest news on possible comings and goings at the Emirates Stadium.

Monday morning's Arsenal transfer talk news roundup:

Arsenal 'ready to sell Nicolas Pepe'

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Arsenal will reportedly look to offload Nicolas Pepe in January if they can find a suitable buyer for the winger.

The Ivory Coast international has performed relatively well in the Europa League this season, but Pepe's struggles in the English top flight have been well-documented since his arrival from Lille last summer.

Pepe has chalked up a solitary goal from eight appearances in the 2020-21 Premier League and is currently serving a three-game ban for headbutting Leeds United's Ezgjan Alioski in last weekend's goalless draw at Elland Road.

As a result, the Daily Star claims that Arsenal chiefs are prepared to cut their losses and ship out the former Lille man in January, although a buyer may be hard to find in the current financial climate.

The report claims that Pepe has given a good account of himself in training, but the Gunners have accepted that forking out £72m for an attacker who was not Premier League-proven was poor business.

Pepe is contracted to the Gunners until the end of the 2023-24 season.

Juventus 'leapfrog Arsenal in Houssem Aouar race'

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Juventus have reportedly stolen a march on Arsenal in the race to sign highly-rated Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.

The Gunners attempted to land the France international during the most recent transfer window, but after failing to fork out Lyon's asking price for Aouar, Arsenal opted to sign Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid instead.

Arsenal continue to be credited with an interest in Aouar, but it appears that the Gunners will have to win a stiff battle with Serie A powerhouses Juventus in order to get a deal over the line.

According to Calciomercato, Juve manager Andrea Pirlo has taken a liking to Aouar, and the Serie A champions are willing to fork out £50m to land the 22-year-old next year.

The report claims that the Old Lady are eyeing a two-year loan deal with an obligation to purchase, but Juventus will cater to Lyon's demands and are prepared to table a concrete offer if the French giants reject that loan proposal.

Aouar reportedly landed himself in hot water with Lyon after refusing to take part in a warm-down session after last weekend's win over Angers, and the midfielder did not make Rudi Garcia's squad for Sunday's showdown with Reims.

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