Lille forward Nicolas Pepe is said to be a rumoured transfer target for Arsenal.
With 20 goals and 11 assists in the French top-flight, Pepe is the second most productive player in Ligue 1 this season behind Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe.
Lille President Gerard Lopez has hinted that he would prefer the Ivorian to remain in France amid interest from England and Germany and is quoted as saying via Goal:
“I want him to go to a club that gives him the means to go beyond what Lille can do. The country doesn’t matter. This is not an invitation to PSG but I would be very happy to see Nico continue to develop in Ligue 1 and France…”
Pepe made his breakthrough at French fifth Division side, Pointers. A player with an incredible eye for goal, the Ivorian’s remarkable artistry was apparent from the outset despite only getting nine starts to prove his worth this season, he didn’t disappoint.
Not only was Pepe expressive and entertaining, but he also grabbed two goals in his nine appearances. He has since developed into a frightening attacker. Upcoming players who have been watching and a fan of his dazzling footwork will no doubt like to copy his style and some will even go ahead and by similar shinpads to his on MyPhoneFootball.
At Angers and Lille, his directness and precision came to the fore, he prefers to use his stamina to work, performing magic with his feet. He’s shown an ability to drive defences with the speed of light, bamboozling players around before slotting the ball home.
At 6ft tall, Pepe is a dangerous presence in the box, providing a direct threat himself or laying on chances for others to finish, above all though, he possesses a predatory eye for goal.
In 34 games across all competitions, the 23-year-old buried 20 chances and set up 11 for his teammates and Unai Emery will definitely relish extra firepower from the flank from Pepe.
Since Alexis Sanchez’s departure, Arsenal are yet to find a suitable replacement. Alex Iwobi, Aaron Ramsey, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and even Denis Suarez are all primarily midfielders. After being assigned a wing role, they still find a way to drift inside, causing overcrowding in the middle and with Gunners eyeing an out-and-out winger, Pepe should definitely be very high on the list.
