Arsenal have won the race to sign Lille winger Nicolas Pepe.
Football.London revealed last week that the Gunners had stepped up their interest to sign the Ivory Coast international, with the north London outfit in advanced talks to sign the 24-year-old before deadline day.
The reported fee is £72m which makes Pepe the club's most expensive signing ever, eclipsing the £56m on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 2018 January transfer window.
With the announcement coming this afternoon, there was only one factor to sort out and was what squad number the winger would wear in the 2019/2020 season.
And his decision to wear no.19 should have come as no surprise.
When Pepe broke into the first-team picture at Angers he wore the no.33 shirt which was upgraded to no.19 ahead of the 2016/2017 season following a loan spell with Orelans.
In the two seasons at Lille he wore no.19.
His shirt numbers for the Ivory Coast has fluctuated in recent years.
This summer he wore no.19 at the Africa Cup of Nations but has also worn no.2, no.10, no.11, no.18 and no.21.
Speaking about his move to the Emirates Stadium, Pepe revealed why this move means to much to him and his family.
"Being here is very emotional because it has not been easy for me," he told Arsenal.com. "I have come a long way and struggled a lot and so signing for this great club is a big reward."
"It was my family and my agents," he added. "We talked and thought a lot about it. It was at the time of the CAN [Africa Cup of Nations] as well, we thought a lot during, before and after the CAN.
"It was important to make the right decision and I am convinced that Arsenal is the right choice."
