Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor have confirmed the arrival of Ivorian attacker Nicolas Pepe from Arsenal.
The 28-year-old departs the Emirates Stadium following an underwhelming four-year spell after being signed for a then-record £72m fee from Lille in 2019.
Pepe had come up with a staggering 22 goals and 11 assists in his final Ligue 1 season before making the move to Arsenal, but he failed to adapt to the rigours of Premier League football.
The Ivory Coast international was sent out on loan to Nice last term in a bid to reignite his career, but he was plagued by injuries as he netted eight goals in 28 matches.
Upon his return to North London, Pepe was informed by Mikel Arteta that he had no place in the Arsenal squad, and both parties began working on an exit for the unsettled attacker.
"Buraya; şampiyon olmak ve başarılar kazanmak için geldim"
— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) September 7, 2023
Nicolas Pepe pic.twitter.com/sh4qNudmtV
Pepe was unsurprisingly tipped to join the Saudi Pro League revolution, but the 28-year-old's priority was to remain in Europe, where Besiktas were willing to offer him an escape route.
Pepe had supposedly completed a medical with Senol Gunes's side, but a deal broke down after Arsenal wanted to revise the terms of the agreement, allowing Trabzonspor to position themselves at the head of the queue.
The former Lille man - whose Arsenal deal would have run out at the end of the season - is believed to be joining the Turkish side on a one-year contract until 2024, and he was officially unveiled by Trabzonspor on Thursday night.
Donning the team jersey while on a private jet to his new stomping ground, Pepe told Trabzonspor's social media channels: "I came here to become a champion and achieve success."
The formalities of the transfer are not believed to have been completed just yet, though, as Pepe is expected to undergo his medical on Friday morning before signing on the dotted line.
© Reuters
It is unclear exactly how much Arsenal will receive for the Ivorian's sale, but a fee between €4m (£3.4m) and €5m (£4.3m) has been floated around, representing a major loss on the Gunners' £72m investment.
Pepe departs North London with a record of 27 goals and 21 assists from 112 games in a Gunners jersey since being brought to the club by Unai Emery, winning one FA Cup in the 2019-20 season.
The 28-year-old's best return for the Gunners came in the 2020-21 season, where he struck 16 goals in 42 appearances across the Premier League and Europa League, but he scored just once in the 2021-22 top-flight campaign.
Pepe held the honour of being Arsenal's most expensive player of all time for four years until the record was broken by Declan Rice's £105m transfer from West Ham United in July.
Ben Knapton
