Fulham reach verbal agreement for Ricardo Pepi
Fulham have reached a verbal agreement to sign Ricardo Pepi from PSV Eindhoven, with the deal agreed in a €36m package between the clubs. Personal terms are also in place, and Pepi could undergo his medical at Fulham in the coming days.
For Fulham, this would be a significant attacking investment: a young, proven international striker entering his prime years, with strong upside and resale potential built into the profile.
Who is Ricardo Pepi?
Pepi is a 23-year-old United States international striker, born in El Paso, Texas, who has built his reputation as a mobile No. 9 with sharp movement in the box and a natural finishing instinct. He is currently under contract with PSV until 30 June 2030.
His pathway has been broad for such a young striker: breakthrough in MLS, a European move, and then a stronger rise in the Netherlands. That route matters because it has shaped him into a forward already used to adapting across leagues and expectations.
Pepi brings a profile clubs value highly in today’s market: international pedigree, age on his side, and a contract situation that made PSV strong negotiators. The fee reflects both current quality and future growth.
The agency behind the move – Starting XI Player Management
Pepi is represented by Starting XI Player Management (SXI), a transatlantic-focused agency with a roster strongly connected to North American talent pathways into Europe. The agency also represetns Gabriel Slonina among their notable clients.
That matters in a deal like this because Pepi’s career has already crossed multiple football cultures. An agency experienced in US-to-Europe transitions and long-term pathway building is naturally well placed to handle a move like this one.
The key steps now are the formal ones: final paperwork, medical, and announcement. With club terms and personal terms already agreed, the move looks to be in its closing stage. If everything is completed as expected, Fulham will have landed one of the most high-profile American strikers on the European market this summer.
