As he has watched his side concede 21 goals in 12 Premier League games this season, it is no surprise to learn that Southampton manager Mark Hughes is looking to being in a central defender in January and according to a report from Turkish outlet Sabah, as translated by Sport Witness, the Saints boss wants to sign Pepe from Besiktas.
Hughes reportedly made an offer to sign the Portuguese international in the summer but Besiktas dismissed the idea of a sale. However, things have changed since then and they are now looking at getting the player off their books.
Besiktas aren’t in the best financial situation at present and with Pepe, 35, earning roughly £80,000-a-week, they could do with getting him off the wage bill.
Furthermore, the defender’s contract runs out at the end of this season, so the Turkish club could cash in on him, rather than lose him on a Bosman at the end of the campaign.
The report suggests that there are teams in Saudi Arabia willing to give Pepe a final big payday before he retires but Hughes will hope to bring him to St. Mary’s in a bid to bring some much needed stability to his defence, albiet as a short-term fix.
