Arsenal are closing in on a club-record £72million signing of Nicolas Pepe from Lille.
The Gunners were reported to have been working with a heavily restricted summer budget having failed to qualify for the Champions League for a third successive season.
However, according the BBC, Arsenal have agreed a fee with Lille, who are happy to receive payment via a number of structured installments.
Arsenal were said to have drafted in super agent Jorge Mendes to help broker a deal and the transfer will now go through once an agreement with Pepe’s representatives has been reached.
Napoli emerged as Arsenal’s most serious rivals for the 24-year-old’s services but were beaten to the punch, as they were last summer when both Lucas Torreira and Bernd Leno chose north London over a move to southern Italy.
Manchester United were also reported to have been monitoring Pepe’s situation, but the BBC claims Ole Gunnar Solskjaer never had any interest in the versatile forward.
Although the Norwegian is still keen to reinforce his attack before the start of the season, Solskjaer is more focused on finding a replacement for Romelu Lukaku than bolstering his squad with the addition of another winger.
Daniel James, a £15m arrival from Swansea earlier this summer, made a positive impression on United’s pre-season tour of Australia and Asia and Solskajer was particularly encouraged by the bravery the diminutive winger displayed in the face of some hostile treatment.
‘Dan is so quick and it’s not easy to time tackles against him,’ the United manager said.
‘I can understand why players mistime tackles against him. He’s a brave little boy and he jumps, he’s taken a few knocks over the tour but as an old man I like to see tackles.
‘There’s no rolling about, or diving or feigning. If he stays down he’s injured but he gets up when he’s just hurt.’
