Newcastle United have been offered the opportunity to purchase Arsenal right-winger Nicolas Pepe this summer.
This is according to insider Graeme Bailey who has been speaking about the Toon’s plans on the latest episode of the Talking Transfers podcast.
Eddie Howe is now under two weeks away from the start of the 2022/23 campaign with no new attacking players having been added to his squad.
Newcastle were believed to be looking at Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby this summer, but the Frenchman looks set to remain with the Bundesliga side for the upcoming campaign.
With the clock ticking on this summer’s pre-season, Bailey believes the 27-year-old winger would be in favour of a move to Newcastle as he aims to prove he still has something to offer in the Premier League.
He said: “I do know, from what I’ve been told [by] Newcastle and people near the player, that Pepe is open to this. He’s open to any team in the Premier League. He wants to show himself as not a failure.
“And I think when you’ve got someone hungry like that, I think he’ll appeal to Eddie Howe and I think we need to keep an eye on this one. This one’s got a bit of legs to it.”
TIF Thoughts on Bailey’s comments…
The reality is Pepe struggled massively last season with the Gunners with game time at a premium, as the Ivorian ended the campaign with just three Premier League goal involvements (via Transfermarkt).
Would you take Pepe at NUFC this summer?
Yes
No
However, rewind it back to the 2020/21 campaign and the 27-year-old actually had an impressive showing for the north Londoners with 10 goals in the league alone (via Transfermarkt).
So the winger would certainly prove a gamble if the Toon were going to make a move, but a lack of football and two years remaining on his deal could make him a cheap alternative to some of their previous targets.