'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
L'Équipe have revealed that Nicolas Pepe will soon make a decision about his future, amidst interest from a whole host of top clubs across Europe.
The French news outlet have reported that the Ivorian has offers on the table from the likes of Arsenal, Inter and Liverpool, which are being studied by the club and the player himself.
In case you didn't know...
Nicolas Pepe absolutely burst on to the scene last season and is among the most sought-after attackers in world footballer.
The 24-year-old was one of the standout players in Ligue 1 last season, scoring 22 goals as he was second only to Kylian Mbappe in the goal-scoring charts.
Pepe predominantly operates as a right-winger and aside from his goal-scoring exploits, he also registered a staggering 12 assists, behind Teji Savanier who topped the league with 13.
The likes of Inter, Arsenal, and Liverpool have all declared their interest for the Ivorian, with the Champions League winners believed to be leading the race for his signature.
Although Pepe's decision remains unclear at this point, hyper reliable local media outlet La Voix du Nord and Mohamed Bouhafsi from RMC Sport have confirmed Liverpool's interest in the player.
The heart of the matter
L’Équipe have confirmed that Lille have received formal bids from Liverpool, Arsenal and Inter for Nicolas Pepe and it is down to the player and his entourage to make a decision at the earliest.
The bid is reported to be amounting to be a whopping €80 million plus bonuses, which would be club record fees for the likes of Arsenal and Inter by a fair margin.
The French club want the player to make the right decision for his future and in the case that he fails to agree a deal with the aforementioned clubs, Lille will reportedly open negotiations with other interested clubs who haven't made a formal proposal yet.
What's next?
Nicolas Pepe has made it clear numerous times that he will not rush in to making a decision about his future, going on to add that he has a very specific list of constraints that need to be satisfied by his future employers.
With the transfer window heating up in recent days, Pepe's future could become clearer in the coming days and he looks set to make his decision imminently.
