AC Milan are believed to be keen to strike a deal to sign Nicolas Pepe from Arsenal, with the club believed to see his supposed asking price as a bargain.
The Gunners splashed out a club-record fee to bring the winger to England from Lille, a reported £72 Million according to Sky Sports, but that move hasn’t gone entirely to plan.
In fact, in both his completed seasons with the club thus far, he has struggled in the opening months of the campaign and been labelled a flop, only to come to life in the latter months of the campaign, reinstalling the belief that he will meet the potential he was showing in Ligue 1 previously.
We may not get to see if he can return to that form this term however, with reports that we have set his asking price for the upcoming window, with AC Milan now believed to be keen on meeting those demands.
Il Milanista states that Stefano Pioli, the current manager of the Rossoneri, sees him as one who would make an instant impact in his line-up, with the club believed to view his asking price as a bargain.
Pepe clearly has plenty of potential, and his ability has been shown in spurts, but with our current wealth of options in the wide roles, his importance is dwindling. The fact of the matter is that he does blow hot and cold, and with him unlikely to get many opportunities to find that form, it seems unlikely that we will be able to get the best of him.
The worst part about the deal would be the fee, knowing we paid almost treble the amount just two-and-a-half years ago, and are still paying Lille for that transfer.
I don’t think many Arsenal fans would turn down £25 Million for his signature in January, assuming that money would be reinvested into the squad, but would it be better to wait until the summer to see if he could force his way back into the team as he has done in previous seasons?
Patrick