da bwin： Manchester United are thought to be the latest club to have joined the chase for Real Madrid defender Pepe.
da doce： In order to sign the Portuguese ace, United will have to beat Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester City and German side Bayern Munich who are all rumoured to be keen on the defender.
Despite claiming a few weeks ago that he was happy at the Bernabeu, contract extension talks between Pepe and Real Madrid are believed to have stalled over the wage demands of the player. Pepe is currently among the smallest earners at Real Madrid and is on about €1.8 million a year.
Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are all looking for defensive reinforcements in January and the 6ft 2in Portuguese centre-back’s strong style of play would fit nicely in the Premier League.
The 27 year-old defender started his career at Maritimo before moving to FC Porto in 2004. It was in Porto where Pepe made a name for himself playing under Dutch coach Co Adriaanse and guided them to two consecutive league titles. Pepe’s improved reputation resulted in a big money move to Real Madrid where he has been since 2007.