Nice's new recruit Ivorian forward Nicolas Pepe is presented during the UEFA Conference League play-off second leg football match between OGC Nice and Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice on August 25, 2022. - Nice's new recrue Pepe (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP) (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

Nicolas Pepe gives up 25% of his salary to secure exit

Aug 29, 2022

Nicolas Pepe agreed to cut a quarter of his salary to play for OGC Nice on loan this season, according to a report from David Ornstein.

Marseille's Bosnian defender Sead Kolasinac (C) and Marseille's French midfielder Jordan Veretout (R) fight for the ball with Nice's Ivorian forward Nicolas Pepe (L) during the French L1 football match between OGC Nice and Olympique Marseille (OM) at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice, south-eastern France, on August 28, 2022. (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) — Marseille’s Sead Kolasinac (C) and Jordan Veretout (R) fight for the ball with Nicolas Pepe (L) during the French L1 football match between OGC Nice and Olympique Marseille (OM) at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice, south-eastern France, on August 28, 2022. (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

David Ornstein writes for The Athletic that Nicolas Pepe took a 25% pay cut to leave Arsenal for OGC Nice on loan this summer.

Pepe was reportedly earning around £10m a year with Arsenal, but Nice only agreed to pay half of that. Arsenal will contribute 25%, and Pepe has given up the other quarter completely.

This is reportedly unusual for a loan to a club without serious financial difficulties, so it’s a sign of Pepe’s willingness to get playing regularly again.

Pepe made his debut for Nice over the weekend, and he came in for a bit of criticism from his new manager over a lack of rhythm and intensity in the performance.

But that’s not unexpected considering how little Pepe had been playing for Arsenal in the early stages of this season. The eventual benefit of this loan move should be finding that rhythm again.

Pepe didn’t make a competitive appearance for Arsenal this season before his move to Nice, after making 23 appearances and just eight starts for the Gunners last campaign.

It was obvious the 27-year-old needed a change this summer, but it remains to be seen whether it will help him return to the form that saw him join Arsenal in the first place.