“At The Moment…” Romano Addresses Reports That Chelsea Are Pursuing 64M Rated Brazilian Ace

“At The Moment…” Romano Addresses Reports That Chelsea Are Pursuing 64M Rated Brazilian Ace

Journalist Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea are not currently pursuing a move for Porto winger Pepe.

Reports in the Portuguese media have linked both the Blues and London rivals Arsenal with the Brazilian but Romano has played down any potential approach ahead of the January transfer window:

“Porto winger Pepe is making an impression and there’s been some talk of interest from Chelsea. Still, Chelsea are linked with 50 wingers every day and at the moment there is nothing concrete with Pepe.”

Even though Romano has labelled Pepe as a winger, he is arguably more of a utility player. He has played as a right-back, left-winger, right-winger and as an attacking midfielder already this season.

The 25-year-old may be someone that the Blues’ recruitment department are considering as a possible wingback option. An alternative for Reece James is needed and manager Graham Potter does like players who can play in multiple positions.

Saying all that, though, Pepe’s asking price is probably a big stumbling block. He does have a release clause of around €75m (£64m) and Porto are thought to be holding out for a fee close to that amount. You wouldn’t expect Chelsea to offer anything close to that figure.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.