Chelsea face a challenge from Arsenal on the transfer front to sign Porto winger Pepe who recently put pen to paper on a new long-term contract to extend his stay in Portugal.
The 25-year-old is said to be the latest name to have emerged on Chelsea’s transfer radar ahead of the January window where the Stamford Bridge giants would be looking to spend on new signings.
Graham Potter, new in the job at the Bridge, is expected to go for fresh faces to bolster his ranks midway through the campaign with Chelsea struggling to achieve consistency in form despite the change in managers earlier in the season.
According to a report from the Portuguese outlet Record ( via The Daily Express), it is claimed that Chelsea are keeping close tabs on the Porto first-team star Pepe who has also courted interest from Chelsea’s local rivals Arsenal.
An extortionate £65 million release clause could prove to be a stumbling point for his suitors in the market with Porto not ready to entertain offers lower than that amount to part ways with their star attacker.