Official: Ricardo Pepi headed to FC Groningen on loan

Ricardo Pepi looks to be on the move as the European transfer window comes to a close. According to a report from Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports, Pepi could be headed to FC Groningen on a one year loan.

Pepi, who broke the club transfer record for FC Augsburg when he signed there in January from FC Dallas, has struggled to adapt to life in the Bundesliga. He has logged 16 appearances for Augsburg in all competitions and has yet to notch his first Bundesliga goal.

With competition at the striker position heating up for the USMNT ahead of this fall’s World Cup, Ricardo Pepi has fallen behind in the depth chart due to his struggles at Augsburg. The thinking is a move to the Eredivisie, where American strikers have traditionally had a lot of success, will help his confidence and keep him in the hunt for a World Cup roster spot. FC Groningen are currently 8th in the Eredivisie table after 4 matches. They finished 12th last season.

The deal is not yet official, as Pepi first has to travel to the Netherlands to complete a physical and put pen to paper. But, it looks like we’ll have another American in the Eredivisie, and hopefully it’s a move that will help get him back on track as we move towards November.

Update: the move is now official! A one year loan for Ricardo Pepi.

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