The Ivory Coast star is on the verge of becoming Arsenal’s record signing (Picture: Getty)

Lille chief Marc Ingla has played down any fears over Nicolas Pepe’s transfer to Arsenal and says the club have not announced the deal yet because of a few ‘administrative details’.

The Ivory Coast international jetted in on Tuesday after Arsenal agreed a club-record £72million fee and he was pictured at London Colney where he underwent a medical and penned personal terms.

Footage also emerged of the 24-year-old posing in full Arsenal kit for his unveiling photos, though nearly 48 hours later the deal has still not been rubberstamped.


Lille Director General Ingla has allayed any worries, though, telling a press conference on Thursday: ‘It is normal. There are administrative details.’



The French side’s president, Gerard Lopez, echoed those sentiments last night, explaining to RMC: ‘I think it should be [made official] in the next 24 hours. It is €80m (£72m) fixed. If we pushed this deal out a little bit longer, we could have had five or six offers of the same size.

‘Through discussions with Nico and his agents, the situation focused on the certain clubs that we wanted to focus on: the two projects that interested the player.’

Arsenal are believed to be paying just £20m up front for Pepe this summer, with the rest paid in instalments over the next five years.

The £72m fee for Pepe will eclipse the £55m Arsenal spent on Aubameyang (Picture: Getty)

Pepe – who scored 22 goals and laid on 11 assists in Ligue 1 last season – will become one of the highest earners at the Emirates, taking home around £105,000-a-week.

His teammates are as eager as fans for the deal to be announced, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang telling beIN SPORTS: ‘When there are great players like that who are close to signing with a great club like Arsenal… it’s very pleasant to have a player like that. I hope that he signs quickly and that it gets done.’