Liverpool “Well Placed” To Sign Pepe
Rumours of a move for Nicolas Pepe have been fueled by the claim that Liverpool are “well placed” to sign the Lille winger.
Pepe has been repeatedly linked with a move to Anfield this summer, following an impressive season that saw him contribute 23 goals and 12 assists for his club.
French publication L’Equipe claimed on Thursday that Liverpool had made a bid of €80 million (£71.2m) plus bonuses. And now RMC Sport’s Mohamed Bouhafsi says the Reds are “well placed” to sign the Ivory Coast international.
“Liverpool and Bayern Munich negotiate with Lille and the player,” Bouhafsi wrote on Twitter.
“It is not advanced at the moment because the player wants to think a little more.
“A very important third club will position itself quickly.”
Bouhafsi is best known to Liverpool fans as the journalist who first reported Fabinho’s switch to the Reds last summer, so it might be worth paying attention to what he has to say.
Pepe has caught the interest of Europe’s top clubs with a string of fine performances, and should there be any truth to the rumours of Liverpool’s interest it appears that Bayern Munich will be their main rivals for the 24-year-old’s signature.
Whether there is any serious interest from Klopp is debatable. There is no doubting Pepe’s talent but with an established front three it was thought that Liverpool would only be in the market for a backup forward this summer. At £70m+ this transfer doesn’t really fit the bill.
That hasn’t stopped some keen fans backing the move though. One top online casino reported a $10k bet placed on the transfer happening, and the rumours don’t seem to stop flying in.
Should these rumours come to anything and the player ultimately signs, there is no doubting he would add some serious quality to a front line already up there as one of the best in the world. With the speculation mostly fueled by unreliable media sources and online sports betting sites though, our opinion that this is one transfer we won’t see happening this summer.
