Arsenal are interested in signing Porto forward Pepe and are set to table an improved offer after seeing an opening bid rejected, according to A Bola (via the Daily Mail).
The print version of the Portuguese outlet claims the Gunners have already tabled a £25.5 million bid to sign the Brazilian, but it fell well short of Porto’s £60m valuation. The opening offer was rejected and Porto have told the North London club they will have to more than double their first offer to sign the winger.
The report adds that Arsenal made an approach for Pepe whilst they were negotiating a deal with Porto for Fabio Vieira. They are yet to return with a second offer but the Daily Mail claims that Arsenal are expected to return with a fresh bid soon.
Pepe’s current contract with Porto expires in 2026 and he’s attracted plenty of interest having starred for Porto during his debut campaign following his move from Gremio last summer.
While Mikel Arteta has signed Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, he also wanted to bring in former Leeds United winger Raphinha. The Brazil international though decided to join Barcelona. Nicolas Pepe’s future at Emirates Stadium has also come under scrutiny with the Ivory Coast forward falling down the pecking order in North London. He made 20 appearances for Arsenal last season but managed to net only once.
Arsenal paid £72 million to sign the 27-year-old back in 2019 but the African has so far failed to live up to the expectations. With his future up in the air, namesake Pepe has emerged as a potential target for Arteta.
Our View
Eduardo Gabriel Aquino Cossa, commonly known as Pepe, is one of the more exciting forwards in Europe at the moment. Understandably, he’s attracting interest but it remains to be seen whether a move will happen this summer. It may make more sense to wait until next summer in order to give him another year to get used to playing in Europe.
Pepe is a typical pacey Brazilian forward who can play on either flank. He is versatile and carries the ability to finish off his chances on a consistent basis. The 25-year-old can also find those key passes and can fit into Arteta’s system of short passing, so he’d be an exciting addition to the Arsenal squad if they do end up buying him.
