Augsburg loan Ricardo Pepi shows his talent in the Eredivisie. Will the US international return to FCA in the summer? Or are they going their separate ways forever?
In January of this year, FC Augsburg drew attention to itself on the transfer market. FCA paid FC Dallas 16.36 million euros to guide Ricardo Pepi to Fuggerstadt. The 19-year-old attacker is considered the country’s greatest offensive talent.
But he couldn’t show that in Augsburg and the Bundesliga. In 16 competitive games, Pepi remained without a goal. After a sobering start to the new season, the US youngster was loaned to the Netherlands shortly before the end of the transfer. Things have been going much better for Pepi at FC Groningen since then. He scored five goals and provided one assist in his first seven Eredivisie games.
So can Augsburg hope that a mature goalscorer will finally keep his promise next summer? Pepi is under contract with FCA until 2026.
However, if you believe transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the paths will finally separate at the end of the season and Pepi will not return to FCA at all. Romano tweeted on Thursday that the 19-year-old would leave Augsburg in the summer. Many clubs would follow his development in Groningen closely – Pepi has the chance to continue to promote himself at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
It is quite possible that one or the other club in Europe will knock in Augsburg. Little likely, however, that the goalscorer hope at FCA will be given up all too easily. A financially lucrative offer would have to flutter in to persuade Augsburg to sell. But who knows: If Pepi continues to score in the Eredivisie and plays a good World Cup, from Augsburg’s point of view there could even be a sale with a profit – if the club and the players should strive for it.
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This article was originally posted on 90min.com/de as Final Farewell to FC Augsburg? Ricardo Pepi published in Focus.
