Mikel Arteta will not guarantee Arsenal will sign Nicolas Pepe replacement

Recruiting early has been key to their strong opening, with the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko signed before a ball was kicked in earnest.

Nicolas Pepe struggled during his Arsenal career (Mike Egerton/PA)

Mikel Arteta believes the current transfer market is tougher than ever, predicting a “very powerful” end to the window, but offered no guarantees Arsenal would sign a replacement for Nicolas Pepe.

The Gunners sit top of the Premier League table and are the only club to boast a perfect start to the season following their win at Bournemouth last week.