The Gunners have been linked with the Lille winger Nicholas Pepe since January, but after the latest news from France it is now abundantly clear that the Ivorian will not be moving to the Emirates, although it seems certain he will be leaving Lille at the end of the season. The Lille president admitted: “That does not just depend on the club. It also depends on the player.
“He deserves to play at the highest level. We have offers yes.”
If there is any truth in Arsenal’s interest, then surely one of the offers was from us, but this report from the Metro today says that Lille would be looking for much more money than Arsenal could or would pay. The report said….
Lille president Gerard Lopez has suggested that Arsenal will need to bid €80 million (£68.7m) in order to sign Nicolas Pepe this summer. The 23-year-old is expected to be one of the most in-demand players during the summer transfer window following an impressive season in Ligue 1.
Pepe, who plays on Lille’s right flank, has scored 16 goals and registered eight assists in 27 league appearances so far. Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move, while Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona are also reportedly interested. But Lille are willing to stand firm over the Ivory Coast international’s valuation having already rejected offers worth €50m (£42.9m)
Well it was nce to dream, but does anyone honestly think that Arsenal would even try to win a bidding war for Pepe?
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