Arsenal have confirmed they have agreed to terminate the contract of Nicolas Pepe.
The Ivorian winger joined the Gunners from Lille in 2019 for a then-club record fee of £72m, but he failed to meet expectations in north London.
90min reported earlier this transfer window that Besiktas were in talks over a move for Pepe, only to then be overtaken in the race for his signature by Turkish Super Lig rivals Trabzonspor.
Though both sides had showed a willingness to secure a nominal fee, Arsenal have announced that Pepe will leave the club on a free transfer after agreeing terms over the termination of his contract.
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Arsenal said in a statement: “We can confirm that Nicolas Pepe is leaving the club.
“We have agreed with Nicolas to terminate his contract with immediate effect.
“Ivory Coast international Nicolas, who joined us from French side Lille in summer 2019, won the FA Cup with us in 2020, assisting our winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea. During his time at the club, the forward has made 111 appearances for us in all competitions.
“The 28-year-old, who had one year left on his contract, spent last season on loan at Ligue 1 side Nice, where he made 28 appearances, scoring eight goals during the campaign.
“Everyone at Arsenal thanks Nicolas for his contribution during his time with us and wish him well for the future.”
Pepe took home around £140,000-a-week at Arsenal and his contract ran until the summer of 2024. He is expected to be announced as Trabzonspor’s newest player in the near future.
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