Arsenal may have pulled the wool over their rivals’ eyes this summer, it’s being reported that the north London club have made a stunning bid to sign this in-demand star.
According to French outlet Telefoot, Arsenal have made a sensational €80m (£71.8m) offer to French giants Lille for attacker Nicolas Pepe. t
The 24-year-old established himself as one of Europe’s brightest stars with exceptional performances last season.
The report states that the French side are considering the Gunners’ offer.
The battle to land the ace’s signature is still fair game for any of Europe’s biggest clubs, as the report highlights that the versatile attacker is yet to decide on his next club, it’s understood that the star would be keen on staying in France with Paris Saint-Germain – should superstar Neymar leave this summer.
The Ivorian’s sensational performances last season have caught the eye of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, according to the Metro, Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as German champions Bayern Munich are amongst the sides interested in the 24-year-old.
It’s surprising to see that Arsenal have reportedly bid this much to sign the star, as reports this summer have suggested that the Gunners are working on a tight budget, as per The Sun, Unai Emery only has £45m to spend this summer – that is before player sales are considered.
Emery is in desperate need of bolstering Arsenal’s options on the wing ahead of next season, currently, academy graduate Alex Iwobi is one of the only senior players that is naturally a winger.
Pepe’s signing could be exactly what the Gunners need, the Ivorian can play anywhere across the front three – making him a suitable option to play up front, in the absence of either Alexandre Lacazette or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Both Lacazette and Aubameyang were impressive last season, but Pepe could help take them to new heights, the attacker also has an eye for an assist and Lille’s other forwards also benefited from the star’s red-hot form last season.
With the Ivory Coast being knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations against Algeria, Pepe’s attention will now turn to picking his desired destination for next season.
