Liverpool have a deal in principle with Lille’s Nicolas Pepe

In a surprise sequence of events, it appears that Liverpool already have a deal in principle with Lille’s star winger, Nicolas Pepe. However, they are not the only ones competing for his talents.

Liverpool have managed to stay quiet for most of the summer, not splashing serious cash on anyone quite yet, but Jurgen Klopp does his business quietly. This is supported by the fact that multiple outlets are reporting Liverpool is one of the teams that has agreed in principle with Nicolas Pepe.

The star winger’s name has been flirting with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Napoli and Inter Milan all summer, but now it is finally coming to fruition. According to Caught Offside, this is the details of the deal:

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"And yet, this story just won’t go away as Calcio Napoli now claim to have learned that the 24-year-old has a ‘rough agreement’ to move to Anfield. La Voix du Nord claim Lille want €80million for their star player, which is perhaps a lot for Liverpool to spend on what many would see as a luxury signing."

This story was also backed up by Get French Football News on Twitter, which most footy fans know as the most reliable transfer outlet in the media. They tweeted the following on Friday morning.

If the stories are true, Liverpool would have quite the signing on their hands. Pepe scored 22 goals and assisted on 11 in Ligue 1 last season, and looks primed to take over in England. The left-winger would most likely play behind Senegalese sensation, Sadio Mane and in relief for the rest of the front three.

Klopp’s team has been lacking serious depth, and competing against Manchester City again all season will not be an easy task. Not to mention the Reds are playing in seven competitions during this campaign and will be worn out from the number of fixtures on their plate. They will not even have a break in December due to the Club World Cup in Qatar.

Nicolas Pepe will more than help solve those problems and could add even more goals to that Liverpool front three which is a very scary thought. While the €80 million price tag is high, it could be the signing Klopp and sporting director Michael Edwards has been waiting for.