"Massive for Mo Salah", "Pay up and watch him thrive" - Liverpool eyeing breakout star - Verdict

Liverpool have been linked with a move for breakout Lille star Nicolas Pepe.

According to Sunday Times reporter Duncan Castles, Pepe is a target for the Reds, as they look to build a squad capable of competing with Manchester City.

“From what I’ve been told, Liverpool have been in contact with Pepe’s agent to discuss a deal, his interest in coming and what it would cost to come. Lille are aware of this and are waiting for a bid,” Castles said on the The Transfer Window podcast.

Jurgen Klopp has been forced to rely on Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to play nearly every game in both domestic and European competition over the last two seasons, and Pepe would give him the ability to rotate his front men without a significant drop-off in quality.

The 24 year-old scored 22 goals and added 11 assists in Ligue 1 this season, so we’ve asked our writers at Football FanCast to give their verdict on a proposed move to Anfield…

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Matt Dawson

“Signing forward players isn’t exactly a priority for Liverpool but if they have a chance of signing Pepe then they must do absolutely everything in their power to bring him to Merseyside. The Lille man is one of the most sought after players in Europe and it would certainly be a statement of intent if Jurgen Klopp can beat others to his signature. At 24 years of age, he’s someone who could set Anfield alight for years.”

Harry Sherlock

“This is a bit of a strange one. Liverpool have all the talent in the world in their forward ranks but there isn’t a great deal of depth beyond Xherdan Shaqiri. Bringing in Pepe, then, would solve that problem at a stroke and allow Jurgen Klopp to bed him in slowly and bring him up to speed with the way the Reds play. He would surely cost a fortune but the 24-year-old has all the raw talent needed to become one of the best wingers Liverpool have had in recent years. Pay up and watch him thrive.”

Jack Saville

“Nicolas Pepe looks like a serious, serious talent in Ligue One and he’s the type of player who Jurgen Klopp could take to the next level. At 24-years-old his development has been a bit of a slow burner but he’s been a revelation for Lille this season. Considering he prefers to cut inside from the right onto his favoured left foot, his arrival would be massive for Mo Salah. The Egyptian may be forced to return to centre-forward once again or even be content with a place on the substitutes bench from time to time. Either way, this is a deal Liverpool simply must have at the forefront of their summer agenda.”

from FootballFanCast.com http://bit.ly/2HLdnRV