September 09, (THEWILL) – Former Arsenal winger, Nicolas Pepe, has completed a permanent transfer to Turkish side, Trabzonspor, the English Premier League club announced on Saturday.
The Ivory Coast international joined Arsenal from Lille in 2019, for a club record fee of £72 million. However, he struggled to establish himself in the starting line-up during his three seasons at the Emirates Stadium. Pepe made just 43 EPL starts for the Gunners and scored 27 goals in his 112 appearances across all competitions. The 28-year-old spent last season on loan at Ligue 1 club, Nice, after falling out of favour under manager, Mikel Arteta.
With a year still left on his Arsenal contract, both parties have now agreed to terminate the deal, allowing Pepe to join Trabzonspor on a permanent basis. In a statement, Arsenal thanked Pepe for his contribution and wished him well for the future. Pepe also expressed his desire to “become a champion and achieve success” at his new club.
His move brings an unsuccessful spell in England to an end, as he now seeks to revive his career in Turkey. His departure frees up funds and space in the squad for manager, Arteta, to continue rebuilding the team this season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
