Napoli snubbed as Pepe accepts Arsenal move
However, one piece of the puzzle was missing: the agreement with the player. Unfortunately for the Partenopei, it was never found, as Pepe preferred to accept Arsenal's offer. Perhaps not a big surprise, as the player wanted to join a Premier League side from the start.
The Gunners presented an offer of around €6m per year, as well as substantial commissions to the player's agent, which was enough to win the race against Napoli. Therefore, even though they reached the finish line, Ancelotti's side will have find a new 'top player' to bring in.
In fact, the breakdown could lead to them re-opening the negotiations for James Rodriguez, whose future is yet to be decided.