Barcelona target Nicolas Pépé could be effectively ruled out of contention
Barcelona will have to dole out over €50 million for Nicolas Pépé
With the gradual decline of Luis Suárez, Barcelona will need to sign a centre-forward in the upcoming summer transfer window, the next ‘El Pistolero. Nicolas Pépé was not the ideal player, but his profile as a potential signing has reduced further now.
The 23-year old Ivory Coast international is a natural right winger. He has been very prolific this season, scoring 17 goals and providing 11 assists in 30 appearances in all competitions. Pépé is third on the Ligue 1 scorers’ list.
But compared to other options, Pépé is going to be extremely expensive. Lille are demanding between €50 million and €80 million for him, with president Gérard Lopez confirming their asking price recently. He also revealed that Pépé had rejected an offer from China.
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Also, Bayern Munich have shown serious interest in signing the young Ivorian winger. Barça have much better options, who are also cheaper and easier to sign. Maxi Gómez and Timo Werner, among others, would all cost less than €50 million.
Pépé is very talented, but he is not worth anywhere near €80 million. Moreover, he will struggle to fit in at the Camp Nou. He has spent the entirety of his career on the flanks, and fitting into the role of a traditional number 9 is going to take a lot of time and effort.
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Unfortunately, Barça can only afford to pay that kind of money for a finished product which just needs a few modifications. So, Nicolas Pépé is highly unlikely to join Barça, especially after Lille’s decision to put a €80 million price tag on him.