At this point, Nicolas Pepe’s proposed move to Arsenal looks all but certain, with the Ivorian set to join the Gunners ahead of next month’s deadline.
According to a recent report from the Guardian, Arsenal are preparing to announce the arrival of Pepe from Lille, after the winger agreed a five-year deal with the north London club.
The same report states that the deal for Pepe will set the Gunners back around £72M (£80M), however it seems like the player could end up costing the club just under £100M over the next five years or so.
Another report from the Guardian, which was published on Wednesday, states that Pepe is set to be paid around £90,000-a-week by Arsenal once he completes his move to the Emirates.
This means that, per year, Pepe will rake in £4.68M, and should he stay for the entirety of his five-year deal, the forward will end up taking home £23.4M.
Thus, when you add that total to his reported transfer fee, Pepe could end up costing the Gunners £95.4M should he remain at the club on £90,000-a-week for five years.
Pepe showed last year that he’s worth forking out £72M for, as the Ivory Coast international bagged a hugely impressive 22 goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1 for Lille, helping them finish in the Champions League places in the process.
Arsenal definitely needed to add to their options out wide this summer given the lack of wingers Unai Emery has to choose from, and it seems like they’re about to do exactly that should they get a deal for Pepe over the line in the near future.
