According CalcioMercato.it, Everton and West Ham United have joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race to sign Gremio’s Pepe.
The Brazilian under-23 international has been at Gremio for two years and has made a very good name for himself. Since the start of last season, Pepe has scored 12 goals and provided four assists in all competitions.
The 23-year-old can play on either wing or as a number 10 and is very good with the ball at his feet. Pepe is fairly quick, has good dribbling skills and is not shy about having a pop at goal from distance.
He is one of the most talked-about players at Gremio at the moment and it is no surprise that clubs are keeping an eye on him. The Porto Alegre club would like to keep him until the end of this year. But they are allegedly open to letting him leave for a fee between £18 million and £23 million.
The report claims that Wolves have already made an offer to Pepe’s agent. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are not the only ones interested, as Everton and West Ham United have also reportedly enquired about the possibility of signing the 23-year-old this summer.
Everton have a solid midfield thanks to the arrivals of Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez. The Toffees could still do with a new winger as they get ready for the new season which starts this weekend.
Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi and Bernard have been inconsistent while Richarlison has moved up top next to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Anthony Gordon has looked sharp in the games he has played, but another versatile winger will do a lot of good for the Toffees.
West Ham would also love a new wide attacker. Manuel Lanzini looks nothing like the player he once was while Felipe Anderson, after his brilliant debut season, struggled for form last term.
Michail Antonio has looked much better up front than he did on the flanks while Andriy Yarmolenko, despite his exceptional quality on the ball, has been very inconsistent.
Pepe is by no means the finished product. The Brazilian is still raw and will need a lot of help to succeed in the Premier League. However, he wouldn’t be a bad shout for either club, especially if they are willing to give him the time he needs to settle in.
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