Arsenal are reportedly confident of beating Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the signing of Ivory Coast winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille.
Unai Emery is keen to bolster his squad in the new year, despite the Gunners currently being on a 19-match unbeaten run, and is said to be a big admirer of 23-year-old Pepe.
Catalan giants Barca are known admirers of Pepe, who has scored nine goals in 15 games this season, while Bayern are already looking at alternatives to ageing wide man Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
However, Mercato365 claims that Arsenal want to push a transfer through next summer, although a major factor behind Pepe’s decision on whether or not to move to The Emirates will depend if Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League or not.
That is something that both Barca and Bayern can guarantee, although Arsenal’s recent form suggests that they will sustain a challenge to finish in the Premier League’s top four.