As Arsenal close in on the very exciting signing of Nicolas Pepe from Lille for £72m, we take a look at what the Gunners can expect from the 24-year-old.

Here are five things to know about the Ivorian international ahead of his move to the Emirates:

1) He’s quick

Pepe is one of the quickest players in Ligue One and he averages 2.61 progressive runs per match, according to Wyscout.

The winger makes a seriously impressive 7.71 dribbles per match, with a completion rate of 48%. This means he can regularly run at opponents and come out on top with the ball.

2) Pepe will cut inside

Although the Ivorian generally plays from the right-wing, he is much stronger on his left foot, meaning he will cut in from the flank to unleash shots from long range.

Pepe averages 2.97 shots per match, but despite the high number, he is very accurate, with 54% of his attempts on target last season.

3) He’s better at through balls than crossing

Pepe’s crossing numbers aren’t bad but they don’t stand out either. He averaged 1.46 crosses per game last campaign, which is relatively low and completed 27% of those he attempted, which isn’t that impressive.

However, he is much more successful when passing shorter distances. He regularly tries through balls with a success rate of 45%. The wide man also averages 0.55 key passes per match which is pretty decent.

Pepe does provide a good number of assists, with 12 coming in all competitions last season.

4) Pepe’s a consummate finisher

The Ivorian international was expected to score 19.46 goals last season, according to his total xG, but he actually overperformed by scoring 23. This means that the winger is good at scoring more difficult chances than others.

Pepe scores from 18.5% of the shots he hits, which is a very good record considering he averages almost three shots per match.

5) He takes set-pieces

Unlike Arsenal’s other transfer target Wilfried Zaha, Pepe takes penalties and direct free kicks. The 24-year-old scored nine penalties for Lille last campaign, but he didn’t score a free-kick.

From corners, he provided one assist last season, and one other came from an indirect free kick. His other 10 came from open play.

Just by looking at his attributes and numbers, it’s clear that Arsenal will be getting a player of tremendous quality. If he finalises his move to the club, he could become a fan favourite very quickly.