Arsenal have signed Ivory Coast international Nicolas Pepe from Lille for a club record fee of £72 million.
The 24-year-old has signed a five-year contract at Emirates Stadium after having a medical on Tuesday.
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— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 1, 2019
Pepe scored 35 goals in 74 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille, who he joined from Angers in 2017.
“Being here is very emotional,” said Pepe. “I have come a long way and struggled a lot and so signing for this great club is a big reward.”
He added: “It was important to make the right decision and I am convinced that Arsenal is the right choice.”
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During the 2018-19 Ligue 1 season, only Paris St-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe had more combined goals and assists than Pepe, who will wear the number 19 shirt for Arsenal.
“Nicolas is a highly rated and talented winger who was wanted by many of the top teams in Europe,” said Gunners boss Unai Emery.
“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.”
