Liverpool’s season is going well and they have a crucial few weeks coming up, but the transfer window isn’t far away and the club have been linked with a move for Nicolas Pepe.
Pepe has a contract with Lille until 2022, but his impressive form this season has attracted interest from elsewhere.
According to Le10 Sport, Liverpool are set to compete with Arsenal and Chelsea for the 23-year old in the coming summer as they look to improve their squad further.
Mohamed Salah is having another stellar season, even though he is behind last season’s goals tally, and if Real Madrid go after him in the summer, Pepe might be the Reds go-to man.
Metro additionally claim that Lille have put a price-tag of £70million on Pepe.
Nicolas Pepe – Fact file
Pepe rose to prominence last season with Lille as he managed 13 goals and five assists in 36 Ligue 1 games for the club, but has taken his game to a whole new level this season.
With 19 goals so far this season, Pepe is only behind PSG star Kylian Mbappe in the Ligue 1 goal-scoring charts, which says a lot.
Pepe has also shown that he isn’t just about goals as he has been a key provider for Lille from the right wing, with 13 assists.
Since joining Lille from Angers in 2017, Pepe has managed to score 34 times in 73 games and is currently one of the most complete wingers in Europe.
Pepe to Liverpool – Why he would be a good addition to Liverpool
Rumours of Salah joining Real Madrid don’t really have much substance yet as he is pretty happy at Anfield and is doing well with the club, who are challenging for silverware. And even though Real Madrid have the option to get rid of Gareth Bale and reinvest in Salah, the Egyptian star leaving Liverpool in the summer is a bit far-fetched.
However, the least Liverpool can do is prepare if in case Salah does move, and Pepe is perhaps the ideal replacement out there for the African star.
Pepe, like Salah, is an agile winger and is a hard player to stop when in full flow. The Ivory Coast star also averages nearly two dribbles a game, and likes testing the ‘keeper, having averaged 3.2 shots per target.
Pepe’s goal-return in the last couple of seasons means he is a goal-scoring winger, something Salah has been since joining Liverpool.
At 23, Pepe still has his better years ahead of him, and if the Reds can sign him regardless of where Salah’s future lies, he would be a top addition to the team.
Stats via Whoscored
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