This archive report was first published on 1 August 2019.
On August 1, 2019, Arsenal manager Unai Emery spoke about the club's transfer pursuit of Nicolas Pepe, a highly sought-after Ivory Coast international.
Emery played down the pursuit, saying that Pepe is merely a player the club are 'following'. This statement came after the Gunners identified Pepe as an alternative to Wilfried Zaha and agreed a £72million transfer fee with Lille.
Speaking after a friendly match against French side Angers, Emery praised Pepe's progress as a player, saying: "[Pepe] played here in Angers a few years ago, and then in Lille. He has progressed as a player."
Emery also emphasized that the club is considering multiple options and will only sign a player if they can really improve the squad. He stated: "We are speaking about a lot of players, we want to select on players who can really help us, give us big performances and improve our squad."
Regarding the transfer, Emery said: "No deal is official now, and I will only speak in the next hours or days if it can be official for us."
Emery's comments suggest that the transfer is not yet a done deal, and the club is still exploring possibilities to sign players.
