Everton may be back in Ricardo Pepi chase as Fulham move in doubt
Everton may be right back in the chase for PSV Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi as his proposed move to Fulham looks in doubt.
The Cottagers had reached a £31million agreement for the 23-year-old striker, who has 13 goals for the Dutch side this season, and looked set to join in the summer.
However, the Athletic‘s Greg O’Keeffe claimed on 23 March that talks with the Eredivisie outfit have broken down, with the Premier League club having doubts about his medical.
Everton are understood to be looking for attacking reinforcements this summer, and Pepi could fit the bill for David Moyes’ side.
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Why Everton could still sign Ricardo Pepi
Everton looked set to miss out on Pepi, despite being linked with him in the winter transfer window, but now they may have an opportunity to swoop under Fulham’s nose.
The report states that other English clubs are monitoring the United States national team star, with the contact with the London-based outfit being the most advanced.
However, the latest developments could give those clubs, if one of them is the Blues, the chance to sign the Texas-born ace.
What would the striker bring to Everton?
Pepi has been prolific in his time in the Netherlands, and if he could transfer that to the English game, he would be a very valuable asset.
The Toffees have struggled for goals this season, with Thierno Barry and Beto not being consistent enough for Moyes’ side.
Pepi notched 18 goals and three assists last season, with 11 of those strikes coming in the Dutch league and two in the Champions League.
| Pepi’s stats vs Barry and Beto (league) | Pepi | Barry | Beto |
| Matches | 20 | 31 | 31 |
| Goals | 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Assists | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Expected goals | 8.30 | 6.14 | 7.17 |
| Chances created | 12 | 9 | 8 |
| Minutes played | 1000 | 1645 | 1205 |
The American has notched 13 strikes in the 2025-26 season, with two assists in the 28 appearances that he has made in all competitions.
Three of those goals and one assist have come in the Champions League, where he has recorded a goal every 50 minutes in this campaign.
He is untested in this league, but given that he has performed in Europe, that suggests that he could translate his form.
The market for strikers is not a very wealthy one at the moment, so taking a gamble on Pepi could be a very clever investment for the Friedkin Group.
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