LOSC Lille have had an extraordinary season as they are back in Champions League after clinching the second spot on the Ligue 1 table. At the thick of this feat was Lille winger Nicolas Pepe.
The Ivory Coast international scored 22 goals and set up 11 assists this season and is on the radar for some top European clubs. This could be like Eden Hazard back in 2012 as even Hazard left Lille for Chelsea.
Lille’s manager Galtier has confirmed that Pepe will leave and the club are demanding a fee around 70M.
‘Nicolas Pepe will leave. Life’s like that, football’s like that today.
‘He is a player of the highest level who will have a big decision to make on the choice of his next club. There will be a battle between the great European teams.
‘I hope that he will take good amount of time to think about it, do his research, like he did when he came here and when he decided to stay here (last summer), find the right project.’
Pepe will have plenty of eyes watching him next month to see if he can replicate his fine form at club level for Ivory Coast at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
