David Ornstein of BBC Sport reports that Arsenal have agreed terms with Lille for winger Nicolas Pepe. In a tweet on his Twitter profile, he says that it will be a club-record signing for the Gunners
Arsenal Agree Terms For Nicolas Pepe
The Situation
Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been on the hunt for a new winger this summer transfer window. They have been linked with a number of targets, including Bournemouth‘s Ryan Fraser and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha. According to reports, they saw two bids rejected for the latter.
However, now they have turned their attention to France and Lille’s Nicolas Pepe. The Ivorian rose to fame last season with his blistering form that saw Lille finish second in Ligue 1 and qualify for the Champions League. He scored 23 goals and also registered 11 assists, and was only beaten to Ligue 1 top scorer by Kylian Mbappe.
Pepe, 24, had been linked with a move to Serie A with Napoli reportedly showing interest. However, a move to Arsenal is seeming more likely. According to David Ornstein, the club-record transfer fee is set to be paid in instalments. This is reportedly so it fits in with their transfer budget.
A Successful Window
The signing of Nicolas Pepe would make him the fourth player to arrive at The Emirates this window. While the Ivorian is the standout signing, his signature would make it a successful window for Arsenal.
The Gunners have signed a mix of youth and experience in their bid to make a long-awaited return to the Champions League. While Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba may not see first-team action straight away, they are certainly signings for the future.
The only other arrival at Arsenal this summer has previous Champions League experience. Dani Ceballos season-long loan deal may not prove worthwhile in the long term, but he will certainly add quality to Unai Emery’s side.
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