One of the big stories of the January transfer deadline day was where Angers’ Nicolas Pépé would end up, with Hull City, Newcastle United and Watford all after the young forward.
The 21-year-old, who also attracted interest from France, eventually stayed at the Ligue 1 side, with their manager making things clear during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle looked at the player for a very long time, but failed to convince him to join them because, as the French newspaper explains, Pépé wants to stay in France. 
Marseille, after signing Payet, seemed to have the upper hand on Newcastle and co., but as their offer never reached Angers’ valuation.
With the transfer window now shut, clubs will have to wait until the summer to get their man, but, having performed well during the first half of the season, by then, the level of clubs that will be interested may have changed, with a few top European sides already scouting him.
Of course, if Newcastle get promoted, which is looking likely as things stand, the prospect of signing for a club with such a great reputation and buoyant fanbase could swing things in their favour, especially if Rafael Benitez can guarantee him more game time than with some of the bigger sides.
