Arsenal announced on Saturday that they have released striker Nicolas Pepe of Ivory Coast to sign with Trabzonspor of Turkey’s Super Lig.



With a then-record transfer price of about $90 million, the Gunners acquired the 28-year-old in 2019 from Ligue 1 club Lille. With this summer’s $130 million pound transfer of England midfielder <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/lampard-confesses-chelseas-prime-target-set-to-join-arsenal-20230713-WST-442925.html">Declan Rice</a> from West Ham, they set a new record transfer fee.



<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/arsenals-pepe-linked-with-transfer-away-from-emirates-20230907-WST-454590.html">Pepe</a> was never able to establish himself with the Gunners, moving to a supporting role until he finally started his last <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a> game for the club in October 2021. He was on loan at French club Nice last year and scored eight goals in 28 games.



<h5>Pepe latest player to see contract torn up under Arteta</h5>



Although Pepe rejoined <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/arsenal-tv-schedule/">Arsenal</a> this summer, he did not take part in the team’s preseason. The team has given him permission to seek a new team for quite some time.



Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Shkodran Mustafi, Sead Kolasinac, Willian, and Hector Bellerin all left the club during Mikel Arteta’s tenure as manager. 



Now, the Ivorian winger is the latest player to have his contract canceled.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">"Buraya; şampiyon olmak ve başarılar kazanmak için geldim" Nicolas&nbsp;Pepe <a href="https://t.co/sh4qNudmtV">pic.twitter.com/sh4qNudmtV</a>— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trabzonspor/status/1699919072027087035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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In a <a href="https://www.arsenal.com/news/nicolas-pepe-leaves-club" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press release</a>, the English side said: “We can confirm that Nicolas Pepe is leaving the club. We have agreed with Nicolas to terminate his contract with immediate effect. Everyone at Arsenal thanks Nicolas for his contribution during his time with us and wish him well for the future.”



<h5>Arsenal still owe $12m to Lille</h5>



Pepe was one of the highest-paid players for Arsenal, but he was already prepared to accept a wage reduction in order to finally escape north London.



By getting rid of the winger, the Gunners will save between $8.7 million and $11.2 million every year.



The only problem is that the Gunners made a big deal about signing the player from Lille in 2019, promising to pay the total sum in installments. The <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/nicolas-pepe-arsenal-fc-contract-termination-b1105993.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evening Standard</a> reports that they have yet to pay another installment worth almost $12.4 million.



Photo credit: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Arsenal to continue paying Lille for Pepe despite deal termination

Even though Pepe has since left Arsenal, the club is still obligated to pay the huge transfer cost that was incurred when they acquired him.

Arsenal to continue paying Lille for Pepe despite deal termination - World Soccer Talk

UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body rendered its verdicts on the proceedings relating to the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg between Real Madrid and Barcelona on April 27th.
Real Madrid coach José Mourinho, who was dismissed from the bench in the first leg and made an inappropriate statement during the post-match interview, has been suspended for the next five UEFA club competition matches for which he would be eligible.&nbsp;The suspension includes the one-match ban for the match following the coach’s dismissal, which was served for the return leg in Barcelona on Tuesday.
The ban for a fifth&nbsp;match is suspended for a probationary period of three years. Mourinho has also been fined 50,000 Euros.
Real Madrid defender Pepe, who was sent off &nbsp;in the first leg match, has been suspended for one UEFA competition match. However, as he did not take part in the second leg in Barcelona, he is considered to have served this suspension. Real Madrid have also been fined 20,000 Euros for improper conduct of their supporters.
Barcelona goalkeeper José Pinto, who received a red card for a sideline altercation at half-time of&nbsp;the first leg match in Madrid, received a three-match suspension. He has already served a one-match ban for the return leg, so he will now also be suspended for the UEFA Champions League final on May 28th and the next UEFA club competition match for which he would be eligible.
Real released a statement on the club website which reads: “Real Madrid considers this resolution still suffers from the same defects found at the start of the disciplinary case, which made it impossible for our coach to use his right to defend himself, since the exact statements for which the disciplinary case was opened are still unknown. Real Madrid will appeal this decision before the UEFA appeals body.”

Mourinho Receives 5-Match Ban - World Soccer Talk

Mourinho Receives 5-Match Ban

A disappointing result for Italy, a 0-0 draw with plenty of wasted opportunities from the Azzurri. While there were some positives to take from this match, Prandelli really needs to teach his side how to finish off opportunities. The entire team was slightly hesitant, and against a well supported Northern Ireland team in their own stadium, the Azzurri needed to show a bit more fight.
The starting line-up was a strange one from Prandelli, and I think it’s part of why the team didn’t play very well. Viviano was in goal, with Cassani at right back, Bonucci and Chiellini in the middle of defense, and Criscito at left back, so far it seems like a good side. Then in midfield you had De Rossi, Pirlo, and Mauri, again a good mix of players, no criticism from my part. But up front Prandelli decided to go with Cassano, Borriello, and Pepe, and this is where I think the coach made the wrong decision. I’m glad with Cassano and Borriello playing up front, but I’m tired of Pepe, he covers ground with his endurance, but he lacks quality.
The match started cautiously, both sides took their time in trying to see what their opponents were like, and eventually things began to look a little better. Pirlo was the metronome, exchanging with Cassano to create opportunities and confuse the Irish midfield. Both of the fullbacks had great games, with Cassani fighting for every loose ball and providing good crosses, along with Criscito who created one of the best chances for Italy.
On the other hand, Borriello was isolated for the majority of the first half, barely touching the ball and getting involved in the play. And Pepe altogether disappeared for about half an hour, only to be seen when he missed a great chance set up by Criscito. So there were some players on form, and others who were having trouble, but that didn’t really stop this side from creating some chances.
Probably the most notable one was Borriello’s (who began to get more and more involved as the game progressed), one on one with the keeper, but the Roma forward hit it directly at the Irish keeper. Cassano tried to follow up, but his curling shot went wide as he claimed that it was brushed by a defender’s shoulder.
Yet as the match progressed, Northern Ireland became more and more confident, and eventually created a great chance for Healy who flashed his header wide. They would also go on to create a good chance in the final minutes which Viviano did well to save.
Prandelli made some substitutions as the second half wore on, replacing Borriello with Pazzini, Mauri with Marchisio, and finally Pepe with Giuseppe Rossi, but sadly only giving the American-Italian only five minutes of playing time. These substitutions helped, and Italy eventually created another great chance, Cassano curling a pinpoint cross to Pazzini at the far post, and Pazzini hitting it down across goal, with Rossi at the other post unable to tuck the ball in.
It was a disappointing result, and while I could criticize Prandelli along with the players, I’ve come to a strange realization. Maybe this is really the best that our team can do? Maybe these are the best players we have, and they genuinely can’t give anything else?
While there were good things to notice, like Criscito’s maturity along with Cassani’s spirit, there were more negatives than positives in this goalless draw for Italy. Share your thoughts on the Azzurri’s performance below.

Northern Ireland hold Italy to 0-0 draw - World Soccer Talk

Northern Ireland hold Italy to 0-0 draw

<div id="attachment_1529" style="width: 311px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a rel="attachment wp-att-1529" href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/real-madrid-vs-juventus-3-things-to-look-for/1523/cristiano_ronaldo/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>The Fist Pump...a sign of things to come?</div>
I should clarify, 3 Things to Look&nbsp;&nbsp;For-&nbsp;From a&nbsp;Madrid Perspective. This is a Spanish soccer website after all.
Although the preseason is young, several trends have emerged in Real Madrid’s performences and it will be interesting to see if they continue when Real take on the Old Lady of Italian Football, Juventus(Kick-off: Friday, July 31 2009, 20:30 CET).
Here are the&nbsp;3 to keep your eye on:
1. Pepe( Will Diego Run rampant?)
The biggest knock against the first group of Galacticos was their defense. The likes of Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, and a moderately in form Raul couldn’t make up for the fact that they didn’t have a defense or&nbsp;a strong defensive midfielder to do the dirty work (a la Mascherano). Poor Helguera was consistently shifted in and out of position to cover up Real Madrid’s huge defensive&nbsp;gaps from 2004-2006, until the club hit an al time low with signing of Thomas Graveson! Yes, you read that right, Real’s defense&nbsp;was so pitiful&nbsp;that Graveson was seen as a savior.
Perez has attempted to show his maturation from the first Galactico era with the signings of Albiol and Arbeloa. However, Pepe will play against Juventus and he will probably start during the season. Regardless of what others <a href="http:\/\/www.goal.com/en-us/news/88/spain/2009/07/28/1409643/player-ratings-real-madrid-4-2-liga-de-quito">say</a>, Pepe has looked shakey this preseason. He has been ridiculously lax when defending and is constantly forced to clean up his own mess. Something that might fool others into thinking that he has been defeming well, but I’m a more astute observer than that. On one &nbsp;particular instance in Madrid’s last game, Salgado tackled a Liga De Quito player from behind and the ball rolled into the box, Pepe hesitated as he moved forward and the attacker was able to regain the ball. Pepe eventually dispossesed the forward after the striker stumbeled. Had Madrid been playing against a&nbsp;truly&nbsp;quality side, Pepe would have been punished for his mistakes(Emphasis on the plural). Imagine Pepe hesitating against Deigo in the box? Take a look at the <a href="http:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVU8s0j3Dso">goal</a> that Diego scored the other day…exactly(This column would have been up an hour earlier had&nbsp;I not spent an hour marveling at Diego and&nbsp;replaying that&nbsp;clip over and over again)
2. Ronaldo’s Reactions
(Before I go on, it must be said that I can’t stand Ronaldo. I hate his antics, I feel he is too selfish, and I don’t understand what position he plays. He used to play as a winger, but then he turned into some sort of winger/striker half breed. Wayne Rooney spent more time on the wing than Ronaldo did in his final two seasons. I wish I could seperate that part of myself and report objectively, but I can’t. So I compensate with full disclosure of my bias. Ok enough of this tangent)
I sincerly believe that Ronaldo was bored at United, and that his disnterest paved the way for his exit. Ronaldo would score forty yard screamers and react nonchalantly, he felt no pressure. But on Wednesday, after scoring&nbsp;a preseason penalty, a Tiger Woodsesque fist pump followed. Ronaldo was so nervous when he was first presented to the Madrid faithful, he bobbled the ball while juggling.
You can chalk up&nbsp;Ronaldo’s nerves to it being early in the season. But it is clear that Ronaldo feels the need to justify his transfer fee, as do the rest of the Galacticos. And when the pressure mounts is it really far fetched to think that each one of them will feel the need to take the game into their own hands? These pressures could lay the foundations for team that becomes easily flustered especially when they go down early.
3. Every Madrid Player on the Pitch
Meaning, who is and who is not on the pitch. Pellegrini has a huge squad at his disposal-with more on the way. Clearly,&nbsp;he won’t use all 35 players during the season. With the start of the season approaching expect the rotation to tighten. Pellegrini has to figure out who will work best together, how to incorporate Raul(No matter who is there, Raul’s got to play. I feel like that is negotiated into each new coaches contract), and what to do with the left over pieces. Pellegrini even gave Guti a run last game. The formation that Pellegrini puts out against Juventus could reveal who has impressed him the most, and who will most likely be staying at the club past August.
Three games into the season is too early to judge a squad. Three games into the PREseason for a team missing one of its key components(Kaka), two new signings(Albiol, Arbeloa) with another major&nbsp;arrival possibly on the way(Alonso) is usually not even grounds for a remark. However, the Real Madrid vs. Juventus Peace Cup Semifinal represents the most interesting&nbsp; and important match of the Madrid’s preseaon. It is against a&nbsp;quality side(This is becoming increasingly difficult to say about Italian teams. Oh and no disrespect to Tornto FC, who Madird play on August 7th. Ok, ok full disrespect, in terms of world football, you guys stink), it is a match of some importance(loser goes home), and&nbsp;Giorgio Chiellini has been talking <a href="http:\/\/www.goal.com/en-india/news/139/italy/2009/07/30/1412740/juventus-defender-giorgio-chiellini-warns-cristiano-ronaldo">smack</a>. Ok, I’m getting ahead of myself, at the end of the day it is an insubstantial&nbsp;offseason match between two sides who haven’t been training for longer than 4 weeks. But at the&nbsp;very least it will allow us to take a break from the transfer market and concentrate on what we all love most for&nbsp;a minimum of&nbsp;two hours, football.

Real Madrid vs Juventus: 3 Things to Look For - World Soccer Talk

Real Madrid vs Juventus: 3 Things to Look For

Real Madrid defender Pepe scored his first goal for Portugal today in their game against Turkey. While the goal was impressive, the interplay between Pepe and captain Nuno Gomes was exceptional. There are few aspects of soccer that are a better example of teamwork than a well executed one-two. Watch this perfect example:

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Pepe"

Arsenal

Arsenal to continue paying Lille for Pepe despite deal termination

disciplinary action

Mourinho Receives 5-Match Ban

Azzurri

Northern Ireland hold Italy to 0-0 draw

Leagues: La Liga

Real Madrid vs Juventus: 3 Things to Look For

General

Video Highlights of Pepe's Goal For Portugal Against Turkey