An African star, who has reportedly attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, could be headed to Italy after a Serie A manager confirmed having talks with the Ivory Coast international's agent.
Nicolas Pepe is believed to have attracted the attention of a number of high-profile teams in Europe after his exploits in the 2018`/19 campaign saw him score 22 goals in 38 Ligue 1 appearances, finishing second only to Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe in the league's top goalscorer ranking.
Pepe recently participated at the Africa Cup of Nations, but reportedly opted to remain silent on his future until after the tournament in Egypt ended.
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Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti, who has made no secret of his admiration for Pepe, has now revealed that the club has made a considerable step in the race to sign the highly-rated winger, alluding to the presence of Pepe's agents at the Italian club's accommodation quarters.
"They were in our hotel," he told reporters, as per Football Italia.
"I said hello, as I did with all the agents who came here.
"Obviously, we are interested in Pepe, his agents are here and there's no point hiding that. Negotiations are in progress and we'll see what happens.
"Pepe is a wide attacking player. We want to find someone who can play between the lines, but also strong with his feet."
Lille's asking price for Pepe has reportedly been set at a minimum of €50 million (R785 million).