LIGUE 1 was rebranded during the summer. The slogan that now officially describes France’s top division is ‘The League of Talents’.
Whether this marketing ploy will be more successful than earlier attempts to make the league more attractive to overseas markets remains to be seen. Unlike some PR stunts, though, this one has a ring of truth to it.
Ligue 1 is a well-known provider of top talent for richer leagues abroad. Every season new starlets appear before securing big-money moves to England, Germany, Italy or Spain.
This year’s prize nugget — or ‘pepite’, as the French say — could be Nicolas Pepe. Right now the Lille winger is Ligue 1’s hottest prospect. The 23-year-old was born in Mantes-la-Jolie in Greater Paris. An Ivory Coast international, he is a relatively late developer in an age where social media tracks gifted teenagers.
Missed by big clubs scouting the Paris suburbs, he played for amateurs Poitiers and Ligue 2 side Angers before joining Lille for £8.8million in 2017. He scored 13 goals in 36 appearances last season, his first in Ligue 1.
This term he looks even better. He has scored five goals and provided three assists in his first eight matches. Playing on the right wing in Lille’s 4-2-3-1 system, he cuts infield on his stronger left foot to devastating effect. Tall, quick and graceful, he glides over the turf and finishes effortlessly.
Pepe tops sports daily L’Equipe’s player ratings. He is ahead of established crowd-pleasers Neymar (second), Angel Di Maria (11th) and Dimitri Payet (17th). He is the main reason Lille sit second in the Ligue 1 table behind runaway leaders PSG.
In August, Lyon bid £26m for the player. Pepe turned down the move, preferring to continue his development at Lille instead.
That decision may double Lille’s windfall. Pepe will attract bids of nearer £50m in January, although Lille president Gerard Lopez insists Pepe will finish the season in north-eastern France. Arsenal, Barcelona and Sevilla are among the clubs reportedly keeping tabs on Lille’s prize asset.
The last superstar Lille sold to the Premier League was Eden Hazard. Pepe looks like his successor.
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