Manager Fabrizio Romano said Fulham had already agreed their first signing of the summer for quite some time and a medical could be imminent.
Marco Silva’s team has been shrouded in mystery this season.
The Cottage, who sit 11th in the Premier League with 41 points, are yet to reach the level the team suggested they could pick up points this season.
Their recent 2-1 win over Tottenham and 3-1 win over Sunderland showed them at their best, but the 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham, the FA Cup exit to Southampton and Sunday’s crunch 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest (in which they failed to register a single shot on target) were reminders of their overall inconsistency.
Burnley are next at home, with Liverpool and Arsenal also in attendance, but there is still plenty of room for Silva to play in the top half as he mulls a long-term stay in west London as he faces an uncertain future.
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He is currently unemployed.
But despite mixed results on the pitch, business behind the scenes is heating up quickly and this afternoon Fulham made the statement of determination their supporters have been waiting for for months.
Fulham agree to sign Ricardo Pepi from PSV Eindhoven in £31m deal
Indeed, Romano confirmed that Fulham have reached a verbal agreement with PSV Eindhoven to sign US international striker Ricardo Pepi in a package deal worth £31m.
The Texans have also agreed to personal terms with the 23-year-old, and the Texans could undergo a medical at Craven Cottage in the coming days.
The deal ends one of the season’s most protracted transfer dramas.
Fulham first identified Pepi a few months ago and submitted multiple bids, which were repeatedly rejected by PSV. A deal appeared to be completed by the January deadline, subject to a transfer fee agreed between the clubs, but the deal fell through at the final hurdle as PSV were unable to source a replacement by the deadline.
Pepi, who broke his forearm in a league match against Excelsior in January, remained in Eindhoven to recover, and Fulham regained their footing and returned to action.
He has since returned as the top scorer, scoring 13 goals in 27 games this season.
PSV, who signed him until 2030, had been offering a figure of nearly £36 million, but the two clubs have now found common ground and Romano’s approval puts this firmly in the realm of a deal.
Pepi represents a true coup.
The El Paso-born forward rose to prominence at FC Dallas before moving to Augsburg and, after a difficult period, quickly making a difference on loan to Groningen.
Then a permanent move to PSV in 2023 for just £7m now looks like a bargain, with the Eredivisie giants set to almost quadruple their investment.
He is a powerful penalty box forward who has scored 39 goals in 95 games for PSV, and is mobile, good in the air and tailored for the wide, direct football that Fulham play best.
Pepi joins at the perfect time, as Raul Jimenez’s contract expires in the summer. And with the World Cup coming up this summer at the home of the U.S. national team, Pepi will be doing his best to prepare.
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The Cottage are open to making a move for the midfielder.
