Arsenal to announce £72million Nicolas Pepe transfer TODAY as Lille president admits deal is done

: "The deal will be done within 24 hours. It is for £72m plus some other details."

Confirmation that an announcement is imminent will be welcome news to Arsenal fans who have grown excited by the sudden move for Pepe.

The 24-year-old looked to be on the way to Italian side Napoli after they agreed terms with Lille last week.

But the Gunners move swiftly to reach an agreement themselves, with Head of Football Raul Sanllehi credited with pulling off the shock swoop.

SunSport revealed pictures of the winger leaving after completing his medical on Wednesday.

And the wide man has also already posed for his promotional shots to announce the transfer.

Arsenal are understood to have delayed making the announcement official until today because the side was in pre-season friendly action yesterday.

The Gunners secured a 1-1 draw at Angers as Reiss Nelson hit the target for the London side, who again showed signs of defensive frailties.

They hope to ease those concerns over the eight days before the transfer window closes by pushing on with their attempts to bring in a defender.

Juventus star Daniele Rugani is the preferred option as Arsenal try to negotiate a two-year loan deal for the Italy star.

Rugani has long been viewed as one of the best defenders in Italy, but his chances at Juve have been blocked by the continued good for of Georgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

With the Serie A champions having also brought in Mathijs de Ligt from Ajax this summer, Rugani could be surplus to requirements and a loan deal would fit in to Arsenal's restricted budget.