Arsenal ‘to sell Nicolas Pepe for just £25m in the summer’ as £72m transfer flop’s contract runs out in 2024

ARSENAL will sell flop Nicolas Pepe for as little as £25million this summer, according to reports.

The Ivory Coast international, 26, cost the Gunners £72million from Lille in 2019.

But the winger has blown hot and cold at the Emirates, and is currently frozen out of Mikel Arteta's plans.

Italian news outlet  claim that the Premier League giants will listen to offers for Pepe for a cut-price fee when the transfer window opens.

They also say Arsenal are willing to accept £25million because his contract runs out in 2024.

Bought from Lille with much fanfare, Pepe has been a huge disappointment in North London.

Although he improved in his second season - scoring 16 goals in all competitions - this campaign he has found the net just three times in 18 games.

And back in 2020, boss Arteta was furious with Pepe when he called his conduct "unacceptable" after getting sent off for a headbutt on Leeds star Ezgjan Alioski.

Most recently, Pepe admitted that the "language barrier" has seen him struggle to communicate with the Spanish tactician.

“The coach knows what I think and how hard I am working. It is also about communication. Sometimes it is not easy to communicate with the language barrier. It has been a tough season for me.”

Asked if he feels he has grown since joining Arsenal in the summer of 2019, Pepe continued: “I have improved since coming to London.

“English football is totally different from French football, particularly the intensity in the matches and I had to adapt physically and make that transition which I feel I have done.”