LOSC Lille star Nicolas Pepe will be too expensive for Arsenal to sign this summer, according to reports, but are the Gunners making a mistake by not splashing the cash on the winger?
France Football, as cited by GFFN via Twitter, claims that the Ivorian will not be heading to the Emirates Stadium simply because the North London club cannot afford him.
Arsenal’s financial limitations have been well documented for some time now, and it is likely that Unai Emery will be forced to work within a tight budget again in the upcoming summer transfer window.
While clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool are able to spend significant sums on bolstering their squads, marquee signings are unlikely to be even under consideration at this point for the Gunners.
Arsenal have displayed quality in the final third this season, with the bulk of their deficiencies coming in their own half. However, they do lack a naturally-gifted wide player to complement the excellent attacking pairing of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Pepe, on paper, would be the perfect summer signing for the Gunners. He is fast, strong in one-on-one situations and has a ruthless edge in front of goal.
The 23-year-old has been outstanding this season for Lille; in Ligue 1, he has found the back of the net on 20 occasions from the right flank, chipping in with 10 assists for his teammates, too.
However, with the French outfit likely to demand a premium price for their winger, it seems Arsenal are reluctant to cough up a colossal sum to lure him to the Premier League.
Pepe may have only had one genuinely exceptional season in a top division, but he has the potential to be a world-class player. His positional intelligence, movement and guile have won Lille games on their own, and the Gunners have few players who can turn the tide of matches with moments of individual brilliance.
If Arsenal don’t strengthen sufficiently this summer, they are at serious risk of falling behind. They might just need to bite the bullet and pay over the odds to land a player of Pepe’s credentials, who can lead them back into the top four of the Premier League next season.
