Ricardo Pepi officially joins PSV Eindhoven from Augsburg after top season with Dutch side Groningen

After a season that started out with uncertainty and ended strong, Ricardo Pepi has officially completed a move to stay in Holland.

Pepi, the El Paso, Texas-born American striker, has joined Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven on a five-year contract from his parent club FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga for a reported fee of $9.8million.

It’s the first incoming transfer for the new Director of Football Affairs at PSV, Earnie Stewart – who joined the club in February after being the sporting director with the US Soccer Federation.

‘Ricardo possesses the qualities we look for in an attacker, the qualities of a PSV player,’ Stewart said in a press release. 

‘He has proven to be a goal scorer in multiple positions, and he works extremely hard for it. It speaks volumes that he accounted for such a large portion of FC Groningen’s goals.’

The Texas-born forward joins the club that finished second in the Eredivisie last season

‘I am incredibly happy and excited to be here,’ Pepi said as his transfer was announced. ‘I believe this is the right step for my career. PSV is a club with great ambitions, and I share the same desire to win trophies. 

‘I am a hardworking player who is willing to put in the dirty work. I prefer to have the ball close to the goal because that’s when I can score goals.’

Pepi joins a PSV side that finished second in the Eredivisie – earning a spot in the qualification stage for the Champions League.

After arriving to the Bavarian club from MLS side FC Dallas in January of 2022, Pepi struggled at an Augsburg side that did not have a clear No. 1 striker.

Across 16 games for Augsburg, Pepi never scored once – leading the club to loan him out to Groningen at the start of this past season.

There, after a slow start, Pepi was able to find the goal scoring form that garnered him attention at the MLS level.

Even though Groningen were relegated from the Eredivisie, Pepi led the team in goals – scoring 13 across 31 matches. 

That mark matches his career high that he scored in the 2021 season with FC Dallas.

After shining with FC Dallas, he joined Bundesliga side Augsburg in 2021 but failed to impress

That led to a loan move to Groningen – where he led the team in goals last season with 13

Pepi has also been bagging goals for the United States, scoring four in four matches this year

Pepi has also been a force with the United States’ men’s national team – having bagged seven goals in 16 appearances since making his debut in 2021.

His first goal for the USMNT came in World Cup qualifying during an away game in Honduras. That was quickly followed by a brace against Jamaica in the same competition that proved to be the only goals scored that night.

The ‘Pepi Hype Train’ grew from there – so much so that his nickname became ‘El Tren’. However, a lack of goals in 2022 led to him not being selected for the World Cup roster by former and incoming USA manager Gregg Berhalter.

But he was able to shake that off in 2023 – getting four goals in four games. That includes the final goal in a 3-0 demolition of rivals Mexico at the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals.