Lille coach Christophe Galtier has rubbished claims that he vetoed Arsenal linked Nicolas Pepe’s exit last summer.
Pepe has been a star man for Lille this season and his performances have catapulted him onto the transfer shortlist of several top European clubs ahead of the summer.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with an interest in the player, but European heavyweights such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also interested in the Ligue 1 forward.
There was considerable interest in Pepe last summer as well and there are suggestions that Galtier was adamant about not letting him leave the club last year.
The Lille coach stressed that he does not enjoy that kind of power at Lille and insisted that he cannot stop a player from leaving if he wants to get out of the club
Galtier insists that it was Pepe’s decision to spend at least one more season at Lille.
“Firstly, I don’t have that amount of power”, the Lille coach told RMC Sport when asked whether he vetoed Pepe’s departure last summer.
“Secondly, you cannot use your veto on a player.
"If he wants to leave, he can leave as long as there is a good agreement with the club.
“He wanted to play a full season with the squad and he didn’t intend to leave.
“He made the right choice.”
Lille have already claimed that they have rejected offers for Pepe ahead of the summer and it could take more than €80m to snare him out of the French club.
