Arsenal ready to terminate contract of 28-year-old as they fail to offload him before deadline - Reports 

Arsenal are reportedly ready to terminate Nicolas Pepe's agreement after failing to offload the winger prior to the close of the transfer window. The Gunners failed to find a suitor for their 28-year-old forward despite reported interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

According to Daily Mail, the north London outfit are on the verge of ripping apart Pepe's contract instead of finding a suitable transfer. Currently, the former Lille man has one year left on his deal at the Emirates.

The Ivory Coast international spent the entirety of last season on loan with Ligue 1 side OGC Nice. During his stint with the French outfit, he scored eight goals and provided one assist from 28 appearances across all competitions.

Pepe is clearly not a part of Mikel Arteta's plans at Arsenal. Yet to make an appearance for the Gunners this season, the winger will evidently need to look for a new employer.

Since joining from Lille in 2019 for a reported fee of £72 million, Pepe has failed to impress in England. Overall, he managed 112 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 27 goals and providing 21 assists across all competitions. The Ivory Coast international started the FA Cup final victory against Chelsea in 2020, and this remains his only major honor in north London.

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"This kid looks better than him" - When pundit Martin Keown compared Arsenal wingers Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe

Bukayo Saka (via Getty Images)

Football pundit Martin Keown slammed Nicolas Pepe after Bukayo Saka's performance against Eintracht Frankfurt in a 2019 Europa League group-stage clash.

The former Arsenal defender was full of praise for Saka, who got on the scoresheet to help the Gunners to a 3-0 victory in the match. Speaking after the game, he said (via Football London):

"You think of the way Pepe is playing at the moment and they paid £72 million for him, and this kid looks better than him tonight. And when he gets the ball here, the young kid Saka, look at this for composure, he's passed that into the goal - it's a beautiful finish."

Aged 18 at the time, Saka has since established himself as one of the most important members of Mikel Arteta's squad. He currently takes up the right-wing position that was once held by Pepe. The latter looks to be heading for the exit door at the Emirates after failing to live up to his high price tag.