Lille chairman Gerard Lopez wants Nicolas Pepe to continue in France‘s Ligue 1.
The Cote d’Ivoire international has been in spectacular form this season with 20 goals in 34 league games, as well as providing 11 assists.
The 23-year-old winger has been linked with a move to Premier League clubs Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool.
German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich and French champions Paris Saint Germain are also reported to be interested in securing his signature in the summer.
“This is not a secret: we have many approaches to Nicolas Pepe and we will never be able to match the salary he may have elsewhere. It is clear that he will go to a big club,” Pepe told Le Parisien.
“I want him to go to a club that gives him the means to go beyond what the Losc can do. Nationality does not matter.
“This is not an invitation to PSG but I would be very happy to see Nico continue to evolve in L1 and France, there is only one club that can afford to have a player like him.
“But he is very followed in all the championships. Nico is very thoughtful and has a very Cartesian approach to football, he will make the best choice.”
Pepe will hope to play a significant role for Ivory Coast in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, which will kick off on June 21.
The Elephants are in Group D alongside Morocco, Namibia and South Africa.
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