Manchester United set to beat Premier League rivals to Lille's Nicolas Pepe

Nicolas Pepe

The 24-year-old was one of the standout players of the 2018/19 Ligue 1 season, scoring 22 goals to help his side to a surprise second-place finish.

According to the Mirror, the Ivory Coast international is a target for United if Lukaku leaves, with Inter Milan desperate to sign the Belgian striker this summer.

The Serie A side have so far failed with their efforts to secure Lukaku’s signature but are continuing their pursuit.

Pepe would consider a move to Old Trafford, but Premier League sides like Arsenal and Liverpool have also expressed interest.

However, the outlet believes that the Lille star’s £70 million price tag will prove too steep for the Gunners, while the Anfield side are not looking to splash out big sums this summer.

That makes the Red Devils favourites to sign the player - a claim backed up by The Times, who report that United have progressed in their negotiations with the French club.

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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.