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Turkish giants Besiktas have begun negotiations to sign Rob Holding from Arsenal after being rejected by Gunners winger Nicolas Pepe, according to French journalist Loic Tanzi.
The Black Eagles were prepared to offer Pepe, 28, an escape route out of the Emirates Stadium. They were locked in talks with the Cote d'Ivoire international over a deal. However, the transfer is now off the cards, with the winger turning down the Turkish club's offer, as per the said report.
Besiktas have no intention of dwelling on the disappointment of being rejected by the Ivorian, as they have already turned their attention towards other targets. According to Tanzi, the Super Lig outfit have entered into talks with Arsenal over a deal for defender Holding.
Holding, 27, has entered the final year of his contract with the Gunners and does not appear to be a major part of manager Mikel Arteta's plans. He was an unused substitute in the team's Community Shield win against Manchester City and was left out of the squad to face Nottingham Forest in their Premier League opener.
Arsenal have William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jakub Kiwior as center-back options, while Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu can also play there. Arteta's side could, therefore, be open to selling Holding, especially as the Englishman is out of contract next year.
However, it is unclear if Jurrien Timber's injury will make the Gunners reluctant to sanction an exit for Holding. The Dutchman, who arrived from Ajax for €40 million last month, is expected to be sidelined for an extended period of time after rupturing his ligament last weekend.
Holding has been on the club's books since joining them from Bolton Wanderers for €3 million in 2016. He has made 162 appearances across competitions for the Premier League giants, helping them win five trophies.
Arsenal struggling to offload Nicolas Pepe
Nicolas Pepe joined Arsenal from LOSC Lille for a then-club record €80 million in 2019. However, the winger has struggled to justify his hefty price tag at the Emirates. During his first three seasons at the club, he bagged 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 games across competitions.
Pepe fell out of favor under Mikel Arteta during the 2021-22 season, starting just five league games. He had a good season on loan at OGC Nice last term, netting six goals and providing an assist in 19 Ligue 1 appearances. That, though, was not enough to force his way into Arteta's plans.
The north London giants have, therefore, been looking to offload the Ivorian all summer. A mid-table Saudi Pro League club were interested in acquiring him last month but the transfer eventually collapsed. A move to Besiktas has also fallen through.
