Nicolas Pépé takes wage cut to join OGC Nice

Arsenal forward Nicolas Pépé is to take a wage cut to join Ligue 1 side OGC Nice, despite reports he turned down an offer from Leicester City that would have included him keeping his full Arsenal salary for the season, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Although Nice will cover the main chunk of the 27-year-old Ivorian international’s wages, Pépé had to reduce his salary in order to make his preferred move back to Ligue 1 a possibility.

As a result, with those personal terms sorted, L’Équipe report that the deal is now all but done for a season’s loan at the Allianz Riviera, but the clubs have not included an option to buy.

Pépé could be available for Lucien Favre to play this weekend, say the sports daily, for the visit of Marseille.

Romano, meanwhile, confirms that the green light has been given for the move to happen and the relevant documents are already with Arsenal while a medical is expected to take place in the next few hours.