Barcelona: Summer target Nicolas Pépé to cost over €50 million
Barcelona are looking at Nicolas Pépé as a potential summer signing
After losing out on Krzysztof Piątek to AC Milan, Barcelona are intensifying interest in other centre-forwards, and Lille’s Nicolas Pépé features among them. But the 23-year old Ivory Coast international will cost over €50 million.
Pépé has been in tremendous form this season. In 26 appearances in all competitions, the young attacker has netted 17 goals and provided 11 assists. He is second in the Ligue 1 top scorers’ chart, alongside Paris Saint-Germain star Edinson Cavani.
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The youngster’s international career has also taken off this season, scoring 3 goals in friendlies against Moldova and Togo for Ivory Coast. At club level, Pépé has picked 7 man-of-the-match awards this season. It is without doubt that he has a very bright future.
But Nicolas Pépé does not have the required skill-set to act as the successor to Luis Suárez. Firstly, he primarily plays as a right winger, and his record as a centre-forward is not good. Moreover, Pépé’s finishing is not the best, and gives away possession very easily.
Pépé is not the best crosser either, unlike Suárez. The only similarity the Ivorian forward has to Luis Suárez is a negative one. Both players have a tendency to get caught offside. In short, Nicolas Pépé is not the player for Barça.
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There is no point in shelling out over €50 million for a player who will not add anything to the squad. Only if Barça get a huge offer for Malcom and decide to offload the Brazilian right winger will Pépé be a good option.