Arsenal have been strongly linked with a move for AS Roma director Monchi in recent days, and reports suggest he’s already got his first two transfers lined up if he joins.
Football.London write that Monchi has ‘already laid the groundwork’ for two signings if he ends up becoming Arsenal’s new technical director, based on a couple of reports in France. Let’s have a look at both players.
Nicolas Pepe
- Age: 23
- Position: Right-Winger
- Club: LOSC Lille
- Contract until: 2022
- Estimated transfer value: £36m
Le10Sport report that Arsenal are ‘well-positioned’ to bring Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal this summer. The Gunners are favourites to sign their long-term target under Monchi for a fee of around €50m, according to the claims.
Pepe has been in fantastic form for Lille this season, scoring 17 goals and providing 11 assists in just 29 matches. As a result, his team have made a surprising run up the table, only sitting behind PSG at it stands.
Still, the winger does polarise opinion a bit. Despite all his goals, his finishing is a bit inconsistent, and many of his efforts have come from penalties. Though he’s a strong passer and dribbler, Pepe’s crossing can also be wasteful, and he does tend to concede possession quite a lot. His defensive contribution also leaves something to be desired.
If he came to the Premier League and got 28 goal contributions for Arsenal in his first season, most fans probably wouldn’t care much about the deficiencies in his game. It’s certainly something to think about before spending €50m though.
Click ‘Next’ for the other player reportedly at the top of Monchi’s Arsenal shortlist
Marcus Thuram
- Age: 21
- Position: Left-Winger/Centre-Forward
- Club: Guingamp
- Contract until: 2020
- Estimated transfer value: £4.05m
Mercato365 claim Arsenal sent scouts to watch Marcus Thuram in action on Wednesday and Football.London report that he’s the second player tipped to be a summer signing under Monchi.
Despite playing for a terrible Guingamp side at the bottom of Ligue 1, the 21-year-old has 11 goals and one assist in 25 appearances this season. That includes goals against the big-hitters in France like PSG, Olympique Lyon and Monaco. Thuram’s goals against PSG and Monaco helped his team to the final of the Coupe de la Ligue.
The young winger, who has also played up front this season, is very strong in the air, and a confident dribbler. He certainly has a physical presence on the pitch, standing at around 6’3″.
Like Pepe, Thuram also has some areas of his game that could do with some work, but it’s also possible he could thrive in a better team and with a few more years of development. We’ll see if Arsenal are the club to make that happen.