Arsenal have signed Ivory Coast winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille for a club record fee of £72m.
The 24-year-old has signed a five-year contract at Emirates Stadium after having a medical on Tuesday.
Pepe scored 35 goals in 74 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille, who he joined from Angers in 2017.
Welcome to The Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe ?
?? #PepeIsHere ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/nXJIB9XdLW
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 1, 2019
“Being here is very emotional,” said Pepe. “I have come a long way and struggled a lot and so signing for this great club is a big reward.”
He becomes the fourth most expensive signing in Premier League history after Manchester United duo Paul Pogba (£89m) and Romelu Lukaku (£75m), and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk (£75m).
Nicolas Pepe becomes the most expensive African player of all time ?? pic.twitter.com/urIlzppDyu
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 1, 2019
Pepe added: “It was important to make the right decision and I am convinced that Arsenal is the right choice.”