It has been a busy transfer deadline day for Arsenal, but the club could not achieve all of their desired deals.
Arsenal wanted to sell or loan a number of fringe players, and whilst they have managed to agree exit deals for Rob Holding and Albert Sambi Lokonga, Cedric Soares and Nicolas Pepe are still at the club with less than an hour until the transfer deadline.
However, they are still expected to depart. A report from Football.London has now revealed that there is interest from a number of top Portuguese clubs in Cedric, and with their transfer window open until September 22nd, a move is still expected to take place.
For Pepe, there is strong interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, with Arsenal wanting a transfer fee for their once-record signing. With the Saudi Arabian window open until September 7th, there is still time for Pepe to exit the club this summer.
Why Pele Is Overrated.
Time to go
If deals do not materialise for either player, it is expected that Arsenal will attempt to mutually terminate their contracts to cut their salaries from the wage bill. Both players are not in Mikel Arteta’s plans at all, and both are in the final year of their contracts.
Even with Arsenal’s thin defensive depth, following the departure of Kieran Tierney and the injury to Jurrien Timber, Cedric is not considered an option, and given his disappointing appearances in the past, this seems to be the correct decision.
Whilst Pepe could possibly be kept as a backup, his high wages have proven to be a problem, and game time looks highly unlikely given the strength in Arsenal’s squad. He should now leave within the next week.