Barcelona have increased their scouting of Arsenal target Nicolas Pepe and have been in direct contact with his representatives to show their interest in the Lille attacker.
The 23-year-old attacker has been on the watch list of several top European clubs this season due to his consistent performances in the French top flight.
Scoring 17 goals in competitions and providing another eleven assists, the Ivorian is expected to be one of the hottest commodities in the transfer market when the window rolls out in the summer.
Arsenal have long been tracking his development, but other bigwigs of European football have also joined in, with Bayern Munich reportedly keen to sign him.
Barcelona have also been keeping tabs on Pepe, and according to Spanish daily Sport, the Catalan giants have firmed up their interest in the Ivory Coast international in recent weeks.
A member of Barcelona’s technical team has been regularly watching him in action in order to keep track of his performances and development.
Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal has also stretched his legs to get in touch with the player’s representatives and express the club’s interest in Pepe.
Lille are expected to seek a fee of around €60m from Pepe’s probable departure from the club next summer and it remains to be seen if Arsenal could beat Barcelona to his signature in a straight transfer fight.
