Bundesliga outfit Augsburg have fended off competition from Premier League trio Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool to the signing of highly-rated USA teenager Ricardo Pepi.
The 18-year-old forward has made the switch from MLS side Dallas to Germany for a reported $20m (£14.8m), signing a contract until June 30, 2026, with the option to extend his deal by a further year.
Augsburg's managing director Stefan Reuter told the club's official website: "We are delighted that Ricardo has decided to move to FCA despite the interest of numerous top international clubs.
"We were able to show him a clear sporting perspective for his further development, which convinced him.
"We are convinced that he will continue to develop in Augsburg and that we will all have a lot of fun together in the coming years."
𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐢 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! 🇺🇸🤩 Der #FCA verpflichtet den 18-jährigen US-Shootingstar vom @FCDallas! 🤝 Bis 2026 (+ Option) unterschreibt @Ricardo_Pepi9 in Augsburg! ❤️💚🤍 #ServusPepi #AnnouncePepi pic.twitter.com/7iH0tFdpX6
— FC Augsburg (@FCAugsburg) January 3, 2022
Pepi has also spoken about his move to Augsburg, stating: "It was my dream to move to Europe after the last MLS season.
"I see FC Augsburg and the Bundesliga as the perfect environment to be able to gain a lot of game practice at the highest level as a young player.
"It was impressive how hard the FCA officials put in their efforts to help me. That's why I had a really good feeling from the first moment that FCA is exactly the right club for me. I'm looking forward to my new colleagues and want to join the team as soon as possible and can't wait for it to start."
Pepi scored 13 goals in 31 MLS appearances for Dallas in 2021, and he has also recorded three strikes in seven international appearances for the USA, since making his international debut in September last year.
Oliver Thomas
