According to Portuguese outlet, Record, Chelsea have now enquired about Porto’s Pepe.
The Brazilian winger has risen to prominence in recent months with his performances for Porto, and as Record state, due to Luis Diaz’s meteoric rise in the Premier League, English teams have been very intrigued by the possibility of signing Pepe.
Arsenal have reportedly already made an offer of £34m a fortnight ago, while Newcastle have been credited with a strong interest in the trickster.
However, Chelsea are now asking about the possibility of signing the winger, and the Blues may well jump to the front of the queue here.
Indeed, unlike Newcastle and Arsenal, Chelsea can offer Pepe the chance to play in the Champions League next season, while it’s clear to see that the west London club aren’t afraid to splash the cash this summer.
Todd Boehly is on a spending spree, and with a £60m move for Anthony Gordon touted, Chelsea shouldn’t struggle to cough up the cash if they want Pepe, who has a €70m (£59m) release clause.
Although, it’s tough to see Chelsea going for both Gordon and Pepe in the same summer, especially after signing Raheem Sterling earlier in the window, so the Blues may have a decision to make here.
On one hand, Gordon is the younger option and he’s proven in the Premier League, but, on the other hand, Pepe has been exceptional over in Portugal, and as Liverpool’s Diaz has shown, players from that league can take to English football like a duck to water.
Unlike Gordon, Pepe also knows what it takes to be a winner, he was crowned a league champion with Porto last season as the Portuguese giants lost just one league game all year, and that’s exactly the sort of pedigree Chelsea need to be adding to their squad as they look to, once again, mount a challenge for top honours.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
