Romano reviewed the latest contract termination in the newest edition of his exclusive CaughtOffside column, with Nicolas Pepe’s contract being revoked, allowing him to move from Arsenal to Trabzonspor on a free transfer.
The Ivory Coast international was Arsenal’s record signing when he joined from Lille in 2019, but he never lived up to expectations at the Emirates Stadium, and it’s hardly surprising that he’s now been allowed to leave, even if it’s a bit of a bold move to allow the player to leave without even receiving a fee.
This has occurred before with Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal, but Romano believes the club didn’t have much of a choice with Pepe, even if he admits it’s not the best financial policy.
“Ideally, I’m sure Arsenal would have liked to bring in a fee for Pepe, who was their record signing back in 2019, but in the end his contract was terminated by the club, and it’s not the first time we’ve seen them take this decision since Mikel Arteta took over, with other big names like Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also leaving in the same way,” Romano wrote.
“I think in some cases it’s the only way to move on and let the player try different experiences, while the club can save money by removing these players’ big wages,” he continued. Of course, it’s not the best financial answer, but in some circumstances, such as this one, Arsenal had no other choice.”
