According to Le10 Sport, Tottenham could have some competition from Wolverhampton Wanderers for the signature of Nicolas Pepe. The 23-year-old currently plays for LOSC Lille but could be on the move after the club’s sporting director Luis Campos revealed in an interview that Lille will be forced to sell Pepe for the right price.
Campos told Telefoot (h/t HITC): “We are not a rich club. It means that if a really good proposal comes in for Pepe, we have to sell him.” The Ivorian international has been a regular for Lille this season, making 28 appearances in all competitions and contributing 25 goals. He’s created 49 chances in the league and made 62 successful dribbles.
Pepe would certainly be a good addition to the Tottenham squad, but he won’t come cheap. According to CIES, Pepe is worth £45m and earns over £16k-per-week at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. Even if Mauricio Pochettino relishes a player of his quality, it’s highly unlikely Daniel Levy would sanction £45m to go towards one player of whom Spurs already have many options in.
Whether Wolves actually stand a chance of signing Pepe remains to be seen, but Tottenham might be able to negotiate a lower fee due to Lille’s desperation to make money. The right-winger still has years remaining on his deal with Lille, but the club want to maximise on his value it seems.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Opinion: Spurs could miss out on transfer-target, Pochettino won’t pay £46m for £66k-per-week man