Arsenal make record £72m move for Pepe
Arsenal have launched a shock move for Nicolas Pepe, the Lille winger, who would cost a club-record fee of about £72 million.
Arsenal are in advanced talks with the French side over a deal for the 24-year-old, who scored 23 goals in 41 appearances last season.
The Sunday Telegraph understands that a final agreement has yet to be reached for Pepe but there is confidence that a deal can be completed.
Any transfer fee will need to be paid in instalments because of Arsenal’s limited transfer budget following their failure to qualify for the Champions League for a third consecutive season.
The Ivory Coast winger has long been on Arsenal’s radar but there was fear within the club this summer that he had moved out of their price range following a brilliant season in France.
Attention instead turned to Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, who has made clear his desire to join Arsenal in this transfer window. The two Premier League clubs have vastly different valuations for the 26-yearold, though, and Arsenal have now chosen to pursue the younger Pepe.
They have been desperate for a direct option who can add natural width to their attack and provide more creativity behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. If they can complete a deal, Pepe would comfortably surpass Aubameyang as Arsenal’s most expensive player. Aubameyang joined in January last year for a club-record £56million. Napoli have also shown interest in Pepe and reports in Italy yesterday morning said that Carlo Ancelotti’s side were confident of reaching an agreement with Lille.
Pepe is blessed with searing pace and composure in front of goal. He chalked up 11 assists for Lille last season and has made 15 appearances for Ivory Coast, scoring four goals.
Pepe could become Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer. They have already concluded a loan move for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos and permanent deals for teenage winger Gabriel Martinelli and St-Etienne defender William Saliba, who has initially returned to France on loan. Meanwhile, Thomas Vermaelen, the former Arsenal and Belgium defender, has completed a move to Japanese side Vissel Kobe. Vermaelen, 33, joins fellow former Barcelona players Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Sergi Samper at the J1 League club. “When the offer came I was very excited to come to this team,” Vermaelen said at his unveiling. Vermaelen, who has 70 caps and played for Arsenal from 2009 to 2014, had been without a club since leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. Plagued by injuries and behind the likes of Gerard Pique in the pecking order at the Nou Camp, Vermaelen made only 34 appearances for the Catalan side.