All you need to know about reported Spurs target Nicholas Pepe

Lille are having a fantastic season in Ligue 1 as they find themselves in second spot behind PSG with 12 games to go. One player who has been vital to Lille’s improvement this season is forward Nicolas Pepe.

Pepe’s form this season has made him one of the hottest properties in French football and the Ivorian has reportedly attracted the interest of several European big hitters. The Times reported last October that Tottenham also hold an interest in the player.

Lille sporting director sporting director Luis Campos has now told Telefoot that Pepe could be on the market this summer.

Here’s all you need to know about the Lille star:

Full Name: Nicolas Pepe

Age: 23

Club: Lille OSC

Nationality: Ivory Coast (10 international caps so far)

Position: Wing Forward, Striker – Hasn’t featured as a lone striker

Playing Style: Pepe is a left-footed wide player who is extremely skilled with the ball at his feet. He can beat players quite easily with his acceleration and ability to swiftly change direction.

Pepe is one of those players who likes to get on the ball and run at people. While his movement and finishing inside the box is quite good, his decision making sometimes lets him down as he doesn’t pick the right moments to release the ball.

Strengths: Dribbling, acceleration, finishing

Weaknesses: Strength, inconstant final ball

Highlights of His Career: Nicholas Pepe is having the best season of his career currently having netted 16 goals in 25 games for Lille despite not playing as an out-and-out striker. His ability to finish and his movement in the final third has improved drastically this season as he is now Lille’s main goal threat.

Rumour rating: B+

It looks like the 23-year-old will be available in the summer and Spurs are interested in his signature, but Goal.com claim that it would take a bid of £72 million to prise him away from Lille in the summer.

While it is likely that he won’t cost anywhere near that amount, Tottenham might still decide to look elsewhere if he is deemed too expensive.

Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Related Topics

Have something to tell us about this article? Let us know