City and Chelsea could go head-to-head for Pepe this summer according to The Mirror, with both reportedly interested in bringing the Portuguese international to England following doubts over his Real Madrid future, with just one year left on his current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, Pepe was expected to sign an extension to his deal that would keep him in the Spanish capital past next summer, but with the sacking of the Italian and his replacement by Rafa Benitez that situation may have changed, and Pepe may now be thinking of a move away from Real Madrid.
City have been heavily linked with Pepe in the past couple of seasons, especially prior to the signing of Eliaquim Mangala last summer. Nothing ever came of the reported interest, but it’s easy to imagine that City would want to pursue interest if he became available, purely for the experience he can provide; in reality, he’s almost certainly an upgrade on Demichelis.
This news comes days after reports The Blues were monitoring the future of Sergio Ramos after he also had concerns about his future at the La Liga side. However, a move for Pepe looks more likely and if City were to make an approach for him it’s likely the 32-year-old would command a £10.5 million fee – significantly less than the £30 million quoted in previous transfer windows.
