"Pretty much certain" - Journalist expects Arsenal exit for £140k-p/w star if Raphinha signs

Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe is “pretty much certain” to leave the club this summer if they sign Raphinha, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Pepe joined Arsenal for a club-record transfer fee back in 2019, but has rarely looked like living up to his price-tag.

The Gunners have set their sights on Leeds United’s Raphinha as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his front line ahead of next term.

The Athletic have reported that Arsenal made a formal bid for the 25-year-old on Tuesday, but it was rejected by their Premier League rivals.

However, the same report states that they are still keen on the Brazilian, indicating that they are likely to return with an improved offer in the near future.

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Raphinha tends to play on the right flank at Leeds, while Bukayo Saka also excelled in that position last season at the Emirates Stadium.

If Raphinha moved to Arsenal, Pepe would be set to find himself as only the third-choice option on the right wing, plus Arteta can also call upon Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe on the opposite side, so it is hard to see where Pepe would fit in. With this in mind, O’Rourke expects him to be moved on.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think it’s pretty much certain if they do get a deal for Raphinha over the line, it will probably be curtains for Nicolas Pepe. He just hasn’t hit the heights since his big-money arrival from Lille.”

Some fans may point out that Pepe only started five league games for Arsenal last season. Is that really enough for a player to make a considerable impact?

In the previous campaign, the Ivorian scored 10 top-flight goals, and it seemed like things might be starting to click for him under Arteta.

Yet the