One of the transfer sagas of the summer came to an end on Thursday evening, as Nicolas Pepe’s move from Lille to Arsenal was confirmed, with Liverpool missing out, and left with plenty of food for thought.
The Reds were known to be pursuing the Ivory Coast international, but a £72 million deal has seen him arrive in North London.
Liverpool, on paper, are a far more lucrative destination than Arsenal. However, their failure to sign Pepe has been explained.
An unnamed French journalist has told GFFN that the Reds were unable to offer the former Angers star assurances over his playing time, which saw him snub a possible move to Anfield.
Read Liverpool’s verdict
Liverpool’s summer transfer window has been quiet, to say the least. Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg have arrived, but will likely to feature in the club’s youth ranks despite their showings in pre-season.
The Reds won the Champions League and came second in the Premier League last season, and they will undoubtedly be competing this term again. However, their failure to strengthen puts them in a precarious position, with the teams around them bolstering their squads.
Jurgen Klopp’s ‘enormous desire’, as per GFFN, to sign Pepe was understandable. The winger fired home 22 goals and chipped in with 11 assists in Ligue 1 last season, attracting interest from clubs across Europe.
However, it was also somewhat predictable that the player would not settle for a backup role. He has the makings of a world-class talent, and the two wide spots at Liverpool are likely to be occupied for the next few seasons.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have both been fantastic since walking through the door at Anfield, and displacing them would be a gargantuan task for any player in the world. Pepe is not yet at the level of the aforementioned duo.
Nevertheless, missing out on a player of this calibre – particularly to a Premier League rival – will come as a blow. Liverpool do not have exceptional strength in depth, and signing the winger would have provided them with another top-quality option in attack.
The Reds must now hope that this missed opportunity does not come back to bite them…
