Arsenal: Nicolas Pepe out of the Wilfried Zaha playbook

Lille manager Christophe Galtier confirmed that Nicolas Pepe will leave this summer. Should Arsenal make a move, it would be for very similar reasons to Wilfried Zaha.

Arsenal need a winger. Specifically, they need a winger — or any attacking player — that can beat defenders with the ball at their feet, play with directness, speed and purpose, and can create and score goals. They also need help at lots of other positions, however.

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Sadly, they do not all that much money to go and spend on all of these needs. It is reported that the transfer budget for this summer will be in the region of £40 million plus player sales, with a little extra coming from qualification for the Champions League if they win the Europa League in late-May.

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It would, therefore, you would think, not be wise to spend the majority of or even all of that budget on one winger. The need may be great, but there are other positions that require spending. Blowing all your cash on one position seems a little hasty. But what if you can sign a truly elite winger? Does that change the utility of the signing? Well, perhaps.

The real impact that a winger would have on the team is balance. And this affects the whole team, not just the wide parts of the pitch. Arsenal have had problems, for instance, but these could be aided by the presence of an elite winger that poses an attacking threat on the counter-attack.

And there are two names that come in at the sharp end of the Gunners’ budget who could be considered closer to the higher level of potential signing: Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace, who I have discussed a lot recently, and Nicolas Pepe of Lille. It is the latter who might well be available this summer. His manager said this on Sunday:

"“Nicolas Pepe will leave. Life’s like that, football’s like that today. He is a player of the highest level who will have a big decision to make on the choice of his next club. There will be a battle between the great European teams. I hope that he will take good amount of time to think about it, do his research.”"

Where Pepe goes remains to be seen. There is certainly going to be a major rush to sign a 23-year-old winger who has north of 30 goals and assists. Arsenal could well be at the bottom of the queue, so expecting them to sign Pepe would be somewhat naive.

Nevertheless, the logic behind any move would be out of the very same Zaha playbook: signing a top-tier wide attacker who can stretch the pitch, provide impetus, drive, speed and width, and help to balance out the overly centralised squad that currently resides at the Emirates.

I very much doubt that Arsenal will make a serious move for either Pepe or Zaha. But if they did, there is a degree of logic behind both, even if it means burning through the whole budget.