Arsenal release 112-word statement as £72m flop Nicolas Pepe departs the club

The Gunners paid £72million to sign the forward from Lille in 2019 but he made only 43 Premier League starts and Arsenal have now agreed to terminate Pepe’s contract with a year remaining.

The Ivory Coast international, who spent last season on loan at Nice, has already secured a move to Turkey, signing for Trabzonspor.

Arsenal said in a statement on arsenal.com: “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 never found his feet at the Emirates Stadium and became an increasingly peripheral presence, starting his last Premier League game for the Gunners back in October 2021.