This summer, Arsenal will reportedly try to offload at least seven players.
After his arrival, Mikel Arteta has completely changed the club, removing what many fans regarded as "dead wood" and building a young team that has led the organization to the verge of an improbable league championship with only 10 games remaining.
According to sources, now that the Spaniard appears to have decided on the players he trusts, attention at Arsenal may be shifting to the summer and deciding which members of their first team squad will be permitted to leave.
The Sun reports that Nicolas Pepe, 27, is at the top of the list of seven names that are expected to be dropped from consideration for this upcoming window.
According to reports, they are also open to hearing bids for Alex Runarsson, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Pablo Mari, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Pepe was acquired for what is now a club record transfer price of £72 million after spending previous season on loan at Nice in Ligue 1.
Many clubs pursued the attacker in the 2019 summer transfer window, but Arsenal beat them to his signature.
However, he was inconsistent for the Gunners, turning in mostly streaky performances that caused emerging players Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to supplant him for a spot in the starting lineup.
The Ivory Coast international has struggled to make a splash since returning to France last summer, only scoring seven goals and one assist in his 17 Ligue 1 outings so far this season.
The scored 16 goals for Arsenal during the 2020–21 season, giving him a total of 27 goals in all competitions.
Pepe, who was welcomed with much fanfare to north London and is currently reportedly making £140,000 per week with one year left on his contract, will likely depart the club this summer, leaving behind a cloud of uncertainties that largely revolve around the question, "What if?
He almost ignited his Arsenal career briefly, but his lack of potency and clinical edge has seemingly rendered him unnecessary.
There have been rumors that due to Pepe's somewhat lackluster performances in France and the dearth of bids for the forward, Arsenal may have to pay him to leave the club.
Similar factors make it unlikely that other players on the list of unwanted stars would fetch a high salary this summer.
Maitland-Niles, who is now on loan at Southampton in the Premier League's bottom division, has had some difficulty this season and is probably leaving this summer. He signed a new contract in 2024, giving him the right to a modest fee.
The loan transfer of Lokonga to Crystal Palace in January hasn't done much to allay concerns that they are headed for the relegation zone. Declan Rice's confidence in Arteta's intentions will not be greatly increased by persistent rumors that Arsenal wants to sign the West Ham player.
As Arsenal is very certain to qualify for Europe's top club competition, Arteta is attempting to get his team ready for the transition to the Champions League next year.
As a result, it has been suggested that individuals like Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, and Folarin Balogun might be employed as makeweights to increase the club's finances.
All three have higher market values than the other seven players who have reportedly been targeted by the north London club for departure, and they might be handy in their pursuit of additional targets.
Tierney has been connected to Newcastle, and Balogun's Ligue 1 goal-scoring prowess for Reims has made him a target for other teams domestically and internationally.
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