USMNT’s Ricardo Pepi sets sky-high goal for PSV after opting against summer transfer

U.S. Men’s National Team striker Ricardo Pepi has set an ambitious target for himself and PSV this season, in what will be his fourth campaign with the reigning Dutch champions.

The 23-year-old Texan has now called the Netherlands home for almost four years, having initially joined FC Groningen on loan from Bundesliga club FC Augsburg, before permanently joining PSV.

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During his time with the Eindhovenaars, Pepi has established himself as one of the league’s premier strikers, although he first had to work his way past club legend Luuk de Jong to earn his starting spot.

While injuries may have derailed much of his last two seasons, to date, he has still managed to score 47 goals in 106 games for PSV, helping Peter Bosz’s side secure three consecutive Eredivisie titles.

Pepi’s proclivity in front of goal also helped secure him a spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT roster for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, during which he appeared in all five games, starting twice.

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But while he may arguably be one of the Eredivisie’s best players, and a regular for his country, routine links with transfers to Premier League clubs – including a near miss with Fulham in March – have yet to come to fruition. And it seems that this time around, that may have been by choice.

Speaking to ESPN NL, Pepi explained that his goal is “to go for that fourth title,” explaining, “In my mind I had already made up that I wanted to stay here at PSV. That gave me a lot of peace of mind. And it prepared me for the season coming up.”

While Pepi may have stayed put, the same cannot be said for several other key players, with the likes of Ismael Saibari and Joey Veerman both leaving the club. But despite this, Pepi remains confident that they’re still more than capable of challenging once again.

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“We had some players, some very important players, that left us. But that’s the game. That’s football at the end of the day,” he said. “We also were able to sign some big players as well. So I feel like our squad is coming together, and I feel very, very happy with the squad that we have and very confident, for sure.”

After starting the season with a 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard, PSV have since found their footing, winning three straight league games, including beating Groningen 5-1 and FC Utrecht 6-1 in their most recent outings. As for Pepi, he’s found the back of the net twice in four starts.

Next up for the defending champions is their toughest test to date as they prepare to travel to Amsterdam to take on Ajax on Saturday, before kicking off their UEFA Champions League campaign at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday, September 10.

Previewing their trip to the Johan Cruijff Arena, Pepi commented, “We obviously know that they’re a good team. They’ve made some really important transfers for them as well. But I feel like at the end of the day, we are really confident in our team and our group, the way we work on the pitch, our coaching staff. So we’re really just trying to get the win and make a statement for sure.”

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This summer has been somewhat transformative for a wayward Ajax side, bringing in Míchel as their new head coach whilst signing the likes of Marc-André ter Stegen, Daley Blind, Marcos Leonardo, and Caio Henrique among numerous others. With two wins and a draw thus far, fourth-placed Ajax currently sit three points adrift of second-placed PSV, and a further two behind league leaders AZ Alkmaar.