Not only are Arsenal and Man United fighting a losing battle with Liverpool in the Premier League, but the two sides could now face stiff competition from the Reds in the transfer market.
This is according to a report by Don Ballon which claims the Merseyside giant is one of several clubs interested in Nicolas Pepe. The Lille attacker has garnered attention from several European elites after an explosive start to the current campaign, scoring 12 goals despite playing on the wings or behind a striker.
While the Ivorian trails Mbappe in the goalscoring chart, he sits ahead of more decorated players such as Cavani and Neymar. Liverpool is now the latest club to be linked with the rising Ligue 1 ace.
Real Madrid is another heavyweight eyeing a move for the 23-year-old. Pepe won't come cheap, though, as his employers have reportedly slapped a $91M price tag on him.
While there have been rumors of a January move, Lille's owner has stated before that he would not entertain the idea of selling in the middle of the season. However, the French side is reportedly not against opening talks at the beginning of next year.
Arsenal has been tipped as the favorite to land him due to their need of width in attack. Whether they will match the asking price remains to be seen. As for Man United, their recent managerial change would have likely been a setback to their transfer business.
Arsenal leading chase for Nicolas Pepe but lots of competition emerging. L’Equipe this morning suggest Lille will negotiate in January if a club opens bidding at €50m. But owner has previously stated he won’t sell mid season
— Matt Spiro (@mattspiro) December 17, 2018
At Liverpool, Pepe would face a fight to break into the starting eleven, unlike at the Gunners. With Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane being Klopp's preferred wingers, the Ivorian would end up beginning life at Anfield on the bench.
