Report: Wolfsburg close in on American talent Pepi
Transfermarkt's US site and CBS Sports now both report that VfL Wolfsburg's signing of FC Dallas and USMNT striker Ricardo Pepi is almost in the bag.
Apparently, Lukas Nmecha's long-term injury ensured that Germany's green company team allocated its entire January transfer budget to complete the deal.
Apparently, Lukas Nmecha's long-term injury ensured that Germany's green company team allocated its entire January transfer budget to complete the deal.
| Ricardo Pepi. | Photo: Matt Paletto, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
CBS Sports and Transfermarkt.us currently report that the Lukas Nmecha's ankle fracture has led to Jörg Schmadtke, Marcel Schäfer, and the rest of the WOB administrative team straining to complete a deal using the entire €10-€13 transfer budget they have on hand for the January window. The Autostädter ran up an estimated €50 million transfer deficit during the summer window.
Germany's green company team can reportedly hope to outmaneuver larger rivals by promising the American teen phenom playing time. Writing for CBS sports, Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims that Pepi is "increasingly tempted to head to the Bundesliga" and that "negotiations are underway."
Pepi burst onto the scene for both club and country in 2021. He's scored 13 goals for his MLS club and a further three in seven caps for Gregg Berhalter's USMNT.