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What's the story?
Arsenal have officially announced the signing of 24-year-old winger Nicolas Pepe from Ligue 1 outfit Lille.
Pepe has been linked with a move to the Premier League the entire summer after an impressive season with Lille, and he has now finally completed a switch to the Emirates.
In case you didn't know...
Pepe started his professional career in the fifth tier of French football with Stade Poitevin FC before joining Angers' reserve team in 2013. The winger spent four seasons with Angers and helped his side reach the final of the French Cup in 2017 before moving to Lille.
The 24-year-old was an instant hit with Lille as he helped them steer clear of relegation in his debut season. The Ivory Coast international, in his second and final season at Lille, helped the side back into the UEFA Champions League after a five-year hiatus.
In two seasons, Pepe made 79 appearances and scored 37 times for the French club in all competitions.
The heart of the matter
Arsenal have finally ended their pursuit of the talented Ivorian, completing a club-record £72 million move for the 24-year-old.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery was all praise for his new signing, saying:
"Nicolas is a highly-rated and talented winger who was wanted by many of the top teams in Europe.
Signing a top-class winger has been one of our key objectives in this transfer window and I'm delighted he's joining.
He will add pace, power and creativity, with the aim of bringing more goals to our team."
Pepe will wear the No. 19 shirt for the Gunners.
What's next?
The Gunners are likely to make one or two more major signings before the window closes. They are still working on deals to bring Celtic full-back Kieran Tierney as well as Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha to the club.
