City’s hopes of signing Pepe have reportedly been given a boost after the Express reported he was willing to consider a move away from Real Madrid in the summer, with City one of the clubs he’d move to.
As he’s getting older, Real look set to bring in a younger centre-back to partner Raphael Varane, and Pepe is thought to be the first player to make way in the squad, aged 31. City, who’ve been rumoured suitors for some time now, look set to be in for him again as he looks for a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
With Pepe’s contract finishing in 18 months, the deal to sign him is likely to be much cheaper for whoever wants to bring him in in the summer. If Real’s asking price is still too high this coming transfer window, then they risk losing him for next-to-nothing if they can’t sell him. That’s not really a situation they’ll want to be in.
Any club who wants to sign him also has to consider his age and just how that might affect him and any signing they make. The Portugal international turns 32 in February, and is probably coming to the end of his peak, if he’s not come to the end already. The main thing he probably offers to any potential new club is the experience he has from over a decade at the top level with Porto and Real Madrid.
