Arsenal should cash in on Nicolas Pepe and go all out for Memphis Depay this summer

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Arsenal are struggling big time in the Premier League this season with January and the summer once again looking like important periods for the club.

Despite plenty of noise, Mikel Arteta is likely to be kept on at the Emirates, with Edu a big fan of the Spaniard. Indeed, it is still early days for Arteta with Arsenal and there is plenty of work he can do to improve things.

One of the things the Gunners boss needs to address is those players in the squad who are misfiring and offering little. One of those players is Ivorian winger, Nicolas Pepe, who has flattered to decieve since his move to London.

Signed for over £70m, to say Pepe’s time at Arsenal has been underwhelming would be an understatement. A £140k-a-week contract on top of that big fee brings pressure and expectation and, sadly, Pepe has not delivered.

But the Gunners could cut their losses here and bring in a replacement for nothing in the form of Memphis Depay. The former Man United winger has yet to sign a new deal with Lyon, meaning he is free to leave this summer.

Goals and quality, Depay is not who we saw at Old Trafford

Depay was a young man at Man United. He looked lost in a team in transition and failed to deliver the goods. However, since being with Lyon, he’s been sensational. Now the skipper, he is the key player for the French side in terms of attacking prowess.

The 26-year-old has refused to comment much on his future. 90Min reports he is focussed solely on the here and now, amid rumours of a big move to Barcelona.

But Depay is exactly what Arsenal should be going for. He’s right in his prime years, has a point to prove in the Premier League, and with no fee attached, would allow the club to bring in a fee for Pepe and reinvest it into the contract of Depay and other signings.

This is a player who’s contributed to over 100 goals for Lyon in just 152 appearances, per Transfermarkt. 19 goals in 54 for the Netherlands is also not to be sniffed at.

So, at a time when Arsenal needs a rebuild, surely getting some cash for Pepe and going all out for a player like Depay would make big sense.