‘Will not leave’: President refuses to sell reported £22m Wolves and West Ham target

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Wolverhampton Wanderers have held talks over a deal to sign Pepe but Gremio are refusing to sell the £22 million-rated attacker at the present time, according to Globo Esporte.

While Wolves already had a ready-made replacement for Diogo Jota in the stocky shape of the increasingly-influential Daniel Podence, it seems that Nuno Espirito Santo still wants to bring one more winger through the door during the final few days of the transfer window.

AZ Alkmaar’s Oussama Idrissi, a right-footed Arjen Robben in many ways, was the subject of a £16 million offer from Wolves this week after producing 17 goals and ten assists in the Eredivisie last term (El Desmarque).

23-year-old Pepe is another name on the club’s hit list – and with good reason.

Young, technically gifted and improving all the time, Pepe is very much a typical Wolves signing. He has also scored four times in his last five games.

But after selling Everton Soares to Benfica for somewhere in the region of £20 million, Gremio are under no pressure to also cash in on a man who has effectively replaced their Lisbon-bound talisman on the left flank.

Globo Esporte reports that Wolves have been in talks, as well as Atalanta and Portuguese champions Porto.

But Gremio are simply refusing to play ball.

“Pepê will not leave,” the club’s outspoken president, Romildo Bolzan, told Radio General of a man who has also caught the eye of Everton and West Ham United (Calciomercato).