Lille president Gerard Lopez has revealed Nicolas Pepe chose Arsenal because he wanted to move to a club where he could make a significant impact.
The Gunners completed a £72 million signing of the highly-rated Ivorian winger from the Ligue 1 side this month.
Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Napoli, Liverpool, Manchester United were linked with the winger in the summer besides the Gunners, following his blistering performances for the Great Danes last term, where he scored 22 league goals in 38 games.
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However, the 24-year-old forward settled for Arsenal ahead of Napoli, who also met Lille’s asking price.