Arsenal Offered Pape Gueye Three-Times Better Salary

Pape Gueye is in the open market and apparently, Arsenal had offered him a sizeable contract.

Controversy arose in January when Watford preemptively announced the signing of the Le Havre midfielder. Very quickly Gueye’s camp denied agreeing to play for the Hornets and the move was put under review.

Now, the 21-year-old’s agent claims that Gueye can be signed but only through Watford. Arsenal were thought to be interested in him as a much cheaper alternative to Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey. But as it stands, all the reports were true after all.

Gueye’s agent told Le Phoceen (via Onefootball), “Pape will not go to Watford. A contract was signed in January, but it has not yet taken effect and nobody can force that. Aside from that, Watford can ask for a break fee, but they cannot force Pape to play for them.

“This clause was fixed by the club at €5m, but this is far from reality today because the value of players has halved with the health crisis…The club that wants to sign him will have to negotiate this clause down with Watford.”

Arsenal will no doubt be a giant leap in Gueye’s career all the way from the French second division. However, the young defensive midfielder wants to develop further in France before committing to a move elsewhere.

“Marseille is one of the clubs that is most interested in Pape, that’s clear,” Gueye’s agent continued. “There is also Metz, Strasbourg, Angers, Nantes, German, Portuguese and Spanish clubs. Arsenal also contacted us with a salary three times better. But Pape wants to play in Ligue 1 for two or three years before going abroad, and Marseille is clearly on his shortlist.