da imperador bet： According to The Independent, Newcastle are in the race to sign Ivory Coast international Nicolas Pepe, but face stiff competition from Watford.
What’s the Word?
da gbg bet： After an impressive first season in Ligue 1, Angers striker Nicolas Pepe is attracting interest from Newcastle over a summer move to the Premier League.
The report has suggested that Angers are keen to keep the young player and that only a bid of around £15million will pry the Ivorian away from the Ligue 1 newcomers.
How good was Pepe last season?
Despite playing most of his games from the bench, Nicolas Pepe showed glimpses of unrefined brilliance and helped Angers secure a mid-table finish and a place in the French Cup final.
In fact, the 22-year-old impressed so much that he was awarded his first cap for Ivory Coast in November last year and went on to make five further appearances for his nation.
While Pepe wasn’t a mainstay in the Angers side and was certainly not prolific in front of goal, his deft touch, sublime pace and ability to create chances caught the eye of many scouts around Europe.
Would Pepe be a good signing for Newcastle?
There is no doubting that Nicolas Pepe was one of the most exciting young players in France last year. However, it musn’t be forgotten that the Ivorian has only established himself as a talent in the last six months and, even if it may sound like a bargain in today’s market, £15million may be too large a chunk of Newcastle’s budget to risk on a relatively unproven player.