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Arsenal New Boy Nicolas Pepe Once Said Chelsea Move 'Would Be A Dream For Me'

Arsenal New Boy Nicolas Pepe Once Said Chelsea Move 'Would Be A Dream For Me'

"It's the only club in England that I would sign for," Nicolas Pepe said in a 2017 interview. And now he is Arsenal's club-record signing.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Arsenal new boy Nicolas Pepe once admitted that Chelsea would be the only Premier League club he would want to play for in England.

The Gunners announced the signing of the former Lille star, 24, for a club-record fee of £72m.

But an interview from 2017 has started to make the rounds following his arrival at the Emirates, with Pepe naming Arsenal rivals Chelsea as a dream move for him.

"Chelsea is a club that would be a dream for me," he said.

"It's the only club in England that I would sign for."

Pepe played for French side Angers and left the club in the summer of 2017 to sign for Lille.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa was the manager of Lille at the time and had spent time scouting the player, who would become a major hit at the French club.

Arsenal had been heavily linked with a move for Crystal Palace ace Wilfried Zaha, who is now a target of Everton and Napoli.

The Gunners launched a £40m bid for the Ivorian forward, 26, but the Eagles rejected the offer as they slapped an £80m price tag on Zaha.

PA
PA

Pepe, who will wear the No 19 shirt at Arsenal, made 41 appearances for Lille last season and scored an impressive 23 times and registered 12 assists.

Arsenal boss Unai Emery, 47, expressed his delight at capturing the Ivorian winger as his marquee summer signing.

"Nicolas is a highly rated and talented winger who was wanted by many of the top teams in Europe," he told the club's website.

"Signing a top-class winger has been one of our key objectives in this transfer window and I'm delighted he's joining.

"He will add pace, power and creativity, with the aim of bringing more goals to our team."

Pepe could help fire Arsenal into the Premier League's top four next season, especially for how many goals he was involved in last season.

Will Pepe be successful at Arsenal?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: Arsenal/PA

Topics: Football News, gunners, Chelsea, Football, Ligue 1, Premier League, Nicolas Pépé, Blues, Arsenal