Arsenal have reportedly launched an internal investigation into Nicolas Pepe's record-breaking move to the Emirates Stadium.
The 25-year-old arrived at Arsenal in a £72m deal from Lille last summer, and Pepe has since gone on to register eight goals and ten assists in his first season in English football.
However, Arsenal are set to be working with a severely limited budget this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Mikel Arteta's first signing as Gunners manager being former Chelsea man Willian on a free transfer.
According to ESPN, the Arsenal hierarchy want to dig deeper into Pepe's record move to North London, and the Gunners are looking to determine why a fee in excess of £70m was forked out for the winger.
The report claims that Pepe had plenty of admirers last summer, but other interested parties were quick to give up their pursuit of the attacker when they learned how much Arsenal were willing to pay for the former Lille man.
Pepe penned a five-year contract upon his arrival at Arsenal, and the Ivory Coast international will see his current deal expire in 2024.
Ben Knapton
