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It was initially reported that Bayern Munich had offered a whopping €80 million to sign Nicolas Pepé from Lille OSC, but per a new report that claim is incorrect. According to Sky Sports’ Torban Hoffmann (via AZ), only “exploratory” talks have been held between the clubs. Bayern has yet to make an official offer.
Nach unseren Infos wurde noch kein offizielles Angebot für Nicolas Pépé über 80 Millionen @FCBayern bei OSC Lille hinterlegt!
— Torben Hoffmann (@Sky_Torben) March 21, 2019
Sondierungsgespräche aber kein konkretes Angebot in dieser Höhe! @SkySportNewsHD @SkySportDE
At this point, it seems unclear whether the move is a case of the inevitable being merely delayed or perhaps far less certain than initially reported. Days ago, beIN claimed that Bayern had not only already offered some €80 million, but that Lille had accepted the offer, and that Bayern shareholder Adidas was somehow involved in financing the transfer. It would be unusual if such specific details proved utterly unfounded.
Although it is clear that Bayern is interested in the Ivorian attacker, it remains to be seen whether the club would spend upwards of €80 million for the second-leading scorer in Ligue 1 behind Kylian Mbappé.