Lille spend chunk of Nicolas Pepe cash on Trabzonspor star Yazici

Lille have invested a chunk of the €80million they received for Nicolas Pepe by signing Turkey midfielder Yusuf Yazici from Trabzonspor.

After securing a huge fee from Arsenal for Pepe last week, the Ligue 1 club are well equipped to bolster their squad and 22-year-old Yazici has joined on a five-year deal.

Trabzonspor announced on their website that Lille would initially pay €16.5million for the full international, plus a further €1m after he plays 25 games for the French club. Lille defender Edgar Ie also moves to Trabzonspor as part of the deal.

Yazici is a left-sided player who Lille, ahead of a Champions League campaign, believe can contribute a steady flow of goals and attacking threat.

Lille director general Marc Ingla called Yazici “a major player, already highly appreciated and well known in his country despite his young age”.

“He brings great technical qualities, an ability to create chances, a very good quality shot and pass with his remarkable left foot, which will come to enrich our team in the season ahead,” Ingla told Lille’s website.

“We’re confident he will continue to progress in our team, and that he will quickly show his talent in Ligue 1 in the Lille shirt and that he will be able to achieve a strong season.”

 Turkish connection 

Coéquipiers en sélection… et désormais au #LOSC  pic.twitter.com/fm1U6YbA8B

— LOSC (@losclive) August 6, 2019