Fulham’s Interest in Pepi Persists Despite Injury Setback

GOAL can confirm that Fulham is actively pursuing the signing of Ricardo Pepi this January. The Premier League club is one of several teams in England interested in the American striker, who previously attracted attention last summer before sustaining a knee injury.

Currently, Pepi is dealing with a broken arm, an injury he sustained during a recent match for his club, PSV. The injury occurred while he was attempting to score during a 5-1 victory over Excelsior. PSV has confirmed that Pepi underwent surgery and is expected to miss approximately two months of competitive play.

Despite this setback, Premier League clubs had already been closely monitoring Pepi during the January transfer window, and their interest remains unwavering, even with the expectation that he won’t be available until March. Fabrizio Romano was the first to report that clubs continue to express interest, while The Athletic previously noted that PSV turned down an initial $35 million bid from Fulham.

The ongoing attention from Premier League teams follows Pepi’s notable performance last January, when he attracted similar interest after an impressive stint at PSV. Sources revealed to GOAL that a Premier League club had made a bid of $20.7 million (€20 million) for Pepi last year, but his knee injury and PSV’s reluctance to sell halted any potential transfer. Additionally, PSV declined a loan-to-buy proposal from West Ham.

Pepi initially made a name for himself during a successful loan at Groningen, where he netted 13 goals before joining PSV in 2023 for $9.8 million. Although he primarily played a substitute role during his first season and a half at the club, scoring nine goals, he broke into the starting lineup in late 2024, tallying 17 goals in all competitions before his knee injury.

As he regained fitness for the current season, Pepi secured his position in the starting eleven, contributing 11 goals in 22 appearances so far. His impressive record includes eight goals in just 716 Eredivisie minutes and key goals against Napoli, Olympiacos, and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, all coming from the bench.

While Pepi is sidelined, PSV will strive to maintain their 16-point lead in the Eredivisie. Meanwhile, Pepi faces a race against time to recover in time for the upcoming USMNT camp, scheduled for March.