Arsenal’s forgotten man Nicolas Pepe is currently undergoing a medical at Turkish club Trabzonspor ahead of a permanent switch.

The 28-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements by manager Mikel Arteta and was shipped out on loan to Nice last season.

Nicolas Pepe set to leave Gunners

Pepe became the most expensive signing in Arsenal’s history when he arrived in 2019 from French club Lille for a fee exceeding $80m but failed to pay back the enormous investment placed in him during his four years at the club.

Following his red card against Leeds United for a headbutt on North Macedonian defender Ezgjan Alioski in November 2020, Pepe saw his opportunities under head coach Mikel Arteta limited, and slowly but surely was removed from the first-team squad altogether.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Pepe is in Turkey to complete his final medical checks before putting pen to paper over a short-term one-year contract with Arsenal happy to waive away a fee for the Ivorian, who is in the last year of his five-year deal at the Emirates Stadium.

Nicolas Pépé, completing medical tests today ahead of permanent transfer to Trabzonspor. No loan deal, it will be permanent and valid until 2024 🇹🇷 #Trabzonspor pic.twitter.com/FTpLXSaduF

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 8, 2023