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Tricky Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe could be on his way out of North London as early as January, as per reports.
Calcio Mercato, via Paininthearsenal, reports that AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli is urgently looking to bolster his forward ranks in January. Pepe is among those being watched by deal-makers in Milan.
A quality right forward is believed to be of top priority for the Rossoneri. Both Pioli and sporting director Ricky Massara are huge fans of the Arsenal man. They are looking to sign him on loan with a purchase option.
AC Milan have in their ranks former Lille forward Rafael Leao. Massara is believed to be keen to rekindle Pepe's partnership with the Portuguese.
However, Pepe will be away for the AFCON finals in January. It's therefore hard to see how much of a contribution the Arsenal man would make at the San Siro if Ivory Coast make the Semis. That's three weeks out with the possibility of an injury.
It's also been reported that AC Milan could face competition for Pepe's signature from Arsenal's London rivals, Crystal Palace.
Over the summer, former Gunner Patrick Viera, who now manages the Eagles, made an offer for youthful Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah. After being put off by Arsenal's £10m valuation, Viera instead splashed £15m to bring in 23-year-old arsenal target, Odsonne Edouard.
Viera is said to have since cooled his interest in Nketiah and has instead turned his sights on Pepe. He hopes to pair the former Lille man with Edouard and Zaha in what could be the fastest forward line in the EPL.
How much will the Arsenal forward cost?
Although Pepe was a real goal threat while at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, he has faltered to deceive since switching to the Emirates in 2019. Scoring 16 goals and making five assists in 47 appearances last season aren't too shabby. However, it's the winger's inconsistency that has reportedly left Edu and co. frustrated.
Any opportunity to get the Ivorian's 140k-a-week wages off the books will be a welcome relief. Arsenal's top brass could be tempted to sell for at least £25m.
The Gunners are looking at their own forward targets in the shape of Noa Lang and Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski. It's estimated that Lang and Kulusevski could cost £33m and £30m respectively. A £25m paycheck would therefore definitely go a long way towards balancing the books.
It would also represent a significant hit on Arsenal's £72m investment but one that the Gunners may be prepared to take. This could be fair as well given that Pepe will have just two years left on his contract next summer.
