Arsenal are set to break their transfer record to sign Ivory Coast winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille, according to reports.
The Gunners are said to have agreed a £72million fee for the 24-year-old, who was also interesting Napoli but the player's representatives have rejected the Serie A side's advances after also having a bid accepted.
The package agreed by the north Londoners will see the fee paid via a series of instalments due to their low summer budget which has seen them fail to sign Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace.
Pepe, who scored 23 goals and assisted 12 in 41 appearances for French side Lille last season, is set to return from holiday in the coming days for talks with the Gunners, who look to have beaten two other English clubs to the transfer.
How Pepe compared to Zaha in 2018/19
Arsenal had previously been interested in Pepe's Ivory Coast compatriot Zaha, bidding around £40million for the former Man United man, way off the Eagles' £80million valuation.
Despite Zaha preferring a move to Unai Emery's side, Everton look to have stolen a march on the Gunners, with Marco Silva's Toffees reportedly launching a £60million offer to bring the 26-year-old to Goodison, with a player possibly going the other way in the process.
With Arsenal seemingly unable to finance a deal, they appear to have turned their attentions to Pepe, who has 11 international caps (and four goals) to his name.
He is set to earn £4.5million-a-year and the record fee Arsenal will pay in total eclipses the £60million paid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Borussia Dortmund in 2018.
Lille president Gerard Lopez told Sky Sports: "We've had interest from three UK clubs along with clubs from Spain and a number in Italy.
"We do have relationships with a good few of those clubs where we feel the player would be best suited and we offer our advice, however we can't do anything if the player doesn't want to go, so it's now the player's decision."
He added: "Pepe will return from his holidays on Monday and I think that he will make his mind up halfway through the week.
"We asked him to stay last year and promised him we would have let him go during this transfer window."
VIDEO: Pepe's 2018/19 highlights
Arsenal record signings
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2018, from Borussia Dortmund) - £60million
- Alexandre Lacazette (2017, from Lyon) - £52.7million
- Mesut Ozil (2013, from Real Madrid) - £42.5million
- Alexis Sanchez (2014, from Barcelona) - £35million
- Shkodran Mustafi (2016, from Valencia) - £35million
- Granit Xhaka (2016, from Borussia Monchengladbach) - £34million
*Fees via Sky Sports News
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