There’s no future for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal, but it’s going to be tricky to negotiate his exit next summer, according to Goal journalist Charles Watts.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Charles Watts reported that Nicolas Pepe’s time at Arsenal looks to be up, but the Gunners will have a job on their hands to sell him next summer.

“There is no future for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal,” Watts said. “Arsenal just need to find a way of selling him at the end of this season, need to cut their losses.

“Look, they’re not going to get much money for Pepe, it’s clear. At the end of this year, he’s only going to have a year left on his deal.

“They’ve got the wages that they need to try and sort out, so any club who are going to be coming in for him are going to have the issue of trying to take on the wages that he wants.

“So Arsenal, I imagine, are going to have to do some pretty clever negotiating to get him off the books.”

Arsenal loanee Pepe has been trying to rediscover his old form back in France this season, with mixed results. But most recently, he scored for Nice against Lyon, ahead of the World Cup break.

With the scores tied at 0-0 shortly after the half-hour mark, the referee awarded a penalty to Nice with the help of VAR.

Pepe had taken a shot inside the box, and the ball cannoned up onto Nicolas Tagliafico’s arm. Though Tagliafico was in close proximity to the shot, the referee ruled that his arm was in an unnatural position and awarded the spot-kick.

Pepe stepped up to the spot, but his attempt was saved by Anthony Lopes, only for the VAR to again pull it back after spotting that Lopes had strayed well off his line.

Given a second chance to convert, Pepe made no mistake, firing into the top-left corner.

The goal was Pepe’s sixth in 18 games on his loan to Nice so far. The French side return to action with a match at home to Lens on December 28th.