A ‘Toro’ for Juventus. The revolution branded Cristiano Giuntoli continues after a summer market marked by change on the pitch and on the bench, with the arrival of Thiago Motta. The priority for the Bianconeri is a deputy Vlahovic with Madama who is carefully following the profile of Ricardo Pepi. The American striker, recordman in MLS, could take the place of Arkadiusz Milik and accept the Bianconeri challenge after having relaunched himself at PSV following the disappointing adventure at Augsburg, in the Bundesliga. EYES ON PEPI – Pepi will challenge Juventus in the Champions League, in the new championship phase. The ideal opportunity for the Bianconeri to study the 2003 class up close, a profile that is very popular in the Continassa area and that would represent an investment for the present and the future, given the great margins for growth. According to Tuttosport, Juventus is monitoring the situation and performance of the American striker, who arrived in Europe after the process at FC Dallas, a club where Reynolds, Cannon, Richards, Tessmann, and above all Juve player Weston McKennie also grew up. CAREER – Born in El Paso on January 9, 2003, Ricardo Pepi is an American striker of Mexican origin. He began his career in the youth sector of Dallas FC, debuting with the affiliated team North Texas in the third US division, and then making his debut in 2019 with the Dallas first team. Pepi made headlines by becoming the youngest player in MLS to score a hat-trick, in the match against Los Angeles Galaxy in 2022. In January 2022, Pepi left the United States to attempt a European adventure in the Bundesliga with Augusta. However, his experience in Germany did not take off, with only 16 appearances in the space of a year. He was then loaned to Groningen in the Netherlands, where he stood out in his first season in the Eredivisie. Pepi’s brilliant performances in the Netherlands attracted the attention of PSV, who signed him in the summer of 2023. In his first year with the Eindhoven club, Pepi immediately won the league and the Super Cup. Called up for the first time by the US national team at just 18 years old, he has collected 28 appearances and scored 10 goals for the United States. HARD CHILDHOOD – Ricardo Pepi was nicknamed ‘Il Toro’ in his homeland, while during his time at PSV he was also renamed ‘Il Treno’. The firstborn of the family, he grew up under the guidance and teachings of his father Daniel in San Elizario, El Paso, who took him to train on the church’s soccer field. “If I didn’t play well, my father would throw my shirt in the garbage. He told me: ‘Don’t waste my time and money,’” Ricardo said. LIKE LEWA AND HAALAND – Pepi’s former coach, Luchi Gonzalez, compared him to Lewandowski and Haaland, as the striker himself explained in an interview: “They tell me, and Luchi confirmed it to me, that my way of playing is similar to that of Lewandowski and Haaland and I feel that it is so. I try to learn from them, to understand what they do through videos. I watch Haaland above all for his way of running, his passes, his movements in the area. These are his strong points and I try to learn them, learning how to distance opposing defenders”. RECORD IN MLS – Among the ‘medals’ won so far by Ricardo Pepi is that of the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the history of the MLS. The former FC Dallas striker did it on July 24, 2021 against the LA Galaxy, a memorable match for the championship and for the career of the 2003-born player. ROLE AND CHARACTERISTICS – A well-built center forward and a man in the penalty area, Ricardo Pepi is a central striker with great physicality. His instinct for goal and ability to always be in the right place make him a real threat in the penalty area. Physical and technical qualities that make him a perfect deputy for Vlahovic. All the UPDATES in REAL TIME! Join the CALCIOMERCATO.COM WHATSAPP channel: click here
