Nicolas Pepe is still expecting a fresh bid from Napoli to rival Arsenal’s £72million agreement with Lille.
The Gunners appear on course to sign Ivory Coast winger Pepe after smashing their transfer record and moving into advanced talks over a five-year contract.
But their walk to his signature could be muddied by Italian side Napoli’s reappearance in negotiations with Lille.
The Serie A outfit had previously seen an offer rejected by the French club, despite being seen as the front runners in the race.
Reports in Italy suggested Arsenal were willing to pay the agents’ fees and commission they desire, which Napoli weren’t, placing them in pole position to agree personal terms.
(Image: Getty Images)
The £72m fee the Gunners are ready to stump up has come as a surprise to many fans and rivals considering the heavily restricted transfer budget the club are working with this summer.
However, it has been reported that the Gunners will make their payments via instalments – a method which is far more practical than an upfront fee at this stage.
L’Equipe reported Pepe’s wage demands, around €8 million a year, which don’t appear to be a problem for Arsenal and both parties are hopeful the deal can be finalised in the next couple of days.
The 24-year-old scored 23 goals last season from his wide berth and is expected to link up with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the Gunners front line.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Pepe, who has also been wanted by Manchester United and Liverpool , could be an alternative to Ivory Coast team-mate Wilfried Zaha as Unai Emery looks to strengthen in the wide areas.
Lille’s president, Gerard Lopez, admitted this week that the club accepted several bids for Pepe and he is expected to make a decision soon.
Lopez told L’Equipe : “I defined the asking price that Lille wanted. Several clubs have met that.
“It is clear that we have affinities with certain clubs. But we will take into account the footballing project that Nicolas has in mind.
“It is a big decision. It is in his interest to rapidly take his decision to not miss any more pre-season and to get himself a place in his new team.”
