Better dribbler than Salah! Who is Nicolas Pepe and why would he be perfect for Liverpool?

Liverpool have been linked with the transfer of Lille forward Nicolas Pepe, but who is the player and why would he be perfect for the club?

The Reds are rumoured be interested in signing £71 million rated Pepe, said the Express, after he had an excellent season in the French Ligue 1.

We decided to get the low-down on the 24-year-old from a source who knows more about the player than us, so we asked Football Radar’s French expert Andres Clavijo (@FRfootballAndre)‏ for his opinion on Pepe.

Is Pepe’s style something that would fit in with Liverpool?

I think he would be perfectly suited to Liverpool’s system. He’s very good on the counter for when they decide to press high and is also good in a possession based set up.

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Is he the type of hard working forward that Jurgen Klopp demands in his teams?

Pepe has learned to work harder this season but this is still an area he has to work on. He was the best player at Lille so sometimes he was allowed not to help his right back as much given that he was making the difference, a bit like Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.

Do you think it would be difficult for Pepe to adapt to the Premier League?

I think Pepe would adapt to the league very easily, particularly at a team like Liverpool. He can struggle against physical opponents but I do not think it would be a major issue.

Would Lille be willing to sell?

Lille are selling to the highest bidder. He has been promised that he will be allowed to leave. Lille also need the money as they are under scrutiny from the French football governing body.

What are his main strengths?

His main strengths are his pace and his trickery. Has a very good eye for a pass and goal and is a very similar to Salah, but perhaps is even more better in one on one situations.

And weaknesses?

Only uses his left foot, so that’s a major weakness. Pepe is a little slight in frame so I think he would need to work on his upper body strength for the Premier League.