Man Utd refuse to give up hope of landing €80m Liverpool strike target

Manchester United have reportedly refused to give up hope of signing an Ivory Coast goal machine this summer.

The player in question is Lille attacker Nicolas Pepe, who has also been a major target for Liverpool since the end of the season.

Reports on Sunday claimed that Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid were both hopeful of beating the Premier League pair to the 24-year-old, but according to reliable source, local paper La Voix du Nord, the winger could still be bound for England.

They stated over the weekend: “Liverpool & Manchester United have not had their last word. Especially the Manchester club, who want to build an ambitious squad for next season.”

Lille’s valuation is understood to be around €80million (£71.2m) for Pepe, who scored 22 Ligue 1 goals last season, and it’s believed that Jurgen Klopp’s men have already bid close to that figure.

United chief Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, meanwhile, is looking to revamp a Red Devils side that struggled last season – and although a new right-back, a central defender and midfielder are believed to be his main targets, the fact that Romelu Lukaku is set to move on means United are in the hunt for a new forward.

However, a pair of reports have provided an update on Pepe’s situation, with France Football stating that Inter will pay up to £80m to ensure they win the race for Pepe.

Meanwhile, Inside Futbol are reporting that Atletico Madrid have emerged as a possible destination for the 24-year-old as they look to replace Antoine Griezmann.

Pepe has three years remaining on his current deal at Lille, and has racked up 37 goals in 79 appearances over the last two seasons.

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