Done deal. Pepe signing confirmed.

L'Equipe were one of the ones saying Lille played the market.

comment by Grand Cannon (U18697)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 7 minutes ago
Show me the simon stone article about United having a bid accepted for pepe
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lille president Gerard Lopez confirmed United wanted the player:
"We spoke to Inter, Atletico, Manchester United and PSG in recent weeks. Napoli and Arsenal were finally in balance at the end, and it was the London club that won the bet. It's for €80 million fixed. If we pushed this out a little longer, we could've had 5 or 6 offers."

https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/football...itic-aurait-tranche-pour-son-avenir-3465.html

Obviously United needed to offload Lukaku first.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So they didn't have a bid accepted for him then?

comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 50 seconds ago
comment by Grand Cannon (U18697)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 7 minutes ago
Show me the simon stone article about United having a bid accepted for pepe
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lille president Gerard Lopez confirmed United wanted the player:
"We spoke to Inter, Atletico, Manchester United and PSG in recent weeks. Napoli and Arsenal were finally in balance at the end, and it was the London club that won the bet. It's for €80 million fixed. If we pushed this out a little longer, we could've had 5 or 6 offers."

https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/football...itic-aurait-tranche-pour-son-avenir-3465.html

Obviously United needed to offload Lukaku first.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So they didn't have a bid accepted for him then?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The point I am making is that United wanted the player and spoke to Lille about getting him. How far their interest or the talks went, I wouldn't say.

Come on Genius, we’re is the source that said we couldn’t move Firmino?

comment by Grand Cannon (U18697)
posted 13 minutes ago
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 50 seconds ago
comment by Grand Cannon (U18697)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 7 minutes ago
Show me the simon stone article about United having a bid accepted for pepe
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lille president Gerard Lopez confirmed United wanted the player:
"We spoke to Inter, Atletico, Manchester United and PSG in recent weeks. Napoli and Arsenal were finally in balance at the end, and it was the London club that won the bet. It's for €80 million fixed. If we pushed this out a little longer, we could've had 5 or 6 offers."

https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/football...itic-aurait-tranche-pour-son-avenir-3465.html

Obviously United needed to offload Lukaku first.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So they didn't have a bid accepted for him then?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The point I am making is that United wanted the player and spoke to Lille about getting him. How far their interest or the talks went, I wouldn't say.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think he was an option but far from our first choice.

I know on 5Live football daily they were saying that Lille were feigning interest from 5 or 6 big clubs to get a bidding war going, but the only ones that showed concrete interest (us and Napoli) weren't even in the clubs that Lille made up were interested.

A lot of money for the Ivorian Welbeck

https://mobile.twitter.com/Blue_Footy/status/1089180538764709888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1089180538764709888&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Farticle-7311657%2FVideo-Arsenals-72m-man-Nicolas-Pepe-saying-Chelsea-club-emerges.html

The next Cashly Cole right there.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1160624/Nicolas-Pepe-Arsenal-transfer-news-Liverpool-Napoli-deal-announcement-gossip-pictures

So now we find out that Man Utd did make a bid. €90m at that. More than Arsenal.

https://le10sport.com/football/mercato/exclu-mercato-losc-ces-clubs-qui-ont-propose-plus-quarsenal-468597