Arsenal are reportedly ready to make Lille winger Nicolas Pepe their priority transfer target for next summer in what looks like being a battle with Barcelona and Bayern Munich for his signature.
The Ivory Coast international has enjoyed a superb start to this season, looking one of the most dangerous attacking players in Europe with 11 goals and five assists in all competitions so far.
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It’s clear Pepe would be a fine addition for Arsenal given that they surely need an upgrade on players like Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in attacking midfield, while Danny Welbeck recently suffered a bad injury.
According to Mercato 365, the Gunners look ready to try a move for the £45million-rated forward, though they face some big-name competition for the deal.
The report also links Barcelona with Pepe, while Bayern Munich are also said to be keen on the 23-year-old as a long-term replacement for Arjen Robben.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal can compete with these two European giants, though Pepe may well feel a move to the Emirates Stadium is a good next step for him in order to ensure he continues to play regularly and not pick a club that might see his development stall.
Arsenal, however, will surely also need to do their bit to persuade top talent like Pepe to join by getting back into the Champions League next season.
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