Arsenal decision confirmed as player pictured in new shirt

Africa’s most expensive footballer was seen posing with his new team's shirt as he completed a late transfer away from North London.

Nicolas Pepe arrived at Arsenal from Lille in 2019 in a blockbuster £72m deal. The transfer was met with great optimism by the Gunners faithful after his 22 goal season in Ligue 1 but a mixture of injuries and poor form prevented him from living up to his full potential.

He was a regular in and around the first team for his first two seasons under Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta but fell down the pecking order in his third season. Last term he was deemed surplus to requirements but he struggled to resurrect his form in a disappointing injury hit loan spell at Nice.

Pepe still had one year left on his existing deal at the Emirates Stadium, but reports from the Daily Mail claim that he was allowed to leave on a free transfer after his deal was mutually terminated on Thursday.

The Ivory Coast international made 112 appearances and he recorded a total of 27 goals and 21 assists in all competitions.

Pepe is hoping to resurrect his career in Turkey ahead of a move to Trabzonspor and told the club’s Twitter that he is coming to be a “champion” and to “achieve success.”

The winger was seen wearing his club’s kit whilst travelling for the medical and addresses his new supporters by saying “everywhere is Trabzonspor” in Turkish.

Nicolas Pepe is hoping to be involved in Ivory Coast’s African Cup of Nations campaign at the start of 2024 and he is hoping to add to his record of 10 goals in 37 appearances at international level.

Ivory Coast are also hoping to win the tournament for the first time since 2015 and dethrone reigning holders Senegal.

Pepe is the third Ivory Coast international to move from the Premier League to Turkey this summer and he follows in the footsteps of Wilfried Zaha who joined Galatassaray and Eric Bailly who joined Besiktas.