English champions Manchester City have reportedly entered the race to sign FC Dallas’s 18-year-old rising star Ricardo Pepi next season.
According to Sky Germany, Manchester City have emerged as the latest club to register interest in Ricardo Pepi. The FC Dallas teenage prodigy has become one of the hottest prospects in the Americas in light of his performances in the MLS.
Pepi is tipped to make a move to Europe next summer, with Dallas holding out for a fee of just €10 million. Along with Manchester City, the American prodigy is being targeted by many top clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg. Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly keen on his services as well.
The 18-year-old attacking sensation was reportedly closing on an agreement with Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart. But the deal collapsed once the big guns started to make their interest known, as the player is eyeing a move to a bigger club.
It has put Manchester City on red alert, with Pep Guardiola keen on bolstering his attacking options next summer. The Sky Blues had to sanction the exit of Sergio Aguero earlier in the summer. Replacing the Argentine has proven to be a difficult task, too, with the club reportedly failing in the pursuit of Harry Kane and other targets like Cristiano Ronaldo and even Lionel Messi.
Manchester City remain interested in snapping up Kane in the near future. But in Ricardo Pepi, the reigning English champions could land themselves an interesting alternative.
Standing at 1.86m, Pepi’s imposing physique and goalscoring traits have made him an asset in the MLS this season. The teenage sensation has netted 13 goals in 28 matches, even winning four caps for the United States national team.
Pepi’s growing stock could make him an excellent future investment for Manchester City. The American international can serve as a prospect for the time being before eventually being groomed into a first-team role by Pep Guardiola, much like the team’s current star in Phil Foden.
However, it remains unlikely that Manchester City will get serious about Ricardo Pepi. At a time when Newcastle United are ready to stamp their authority under their new ownership, the Citizens are more likely to wield their financial powers by bagging a top star like Harry Kane or Erling Haaland, who has emerged as a priority next summer.