Crystal Palace are admirers of USA international Ricardo Pepi but former Premier League midfielder Karim El Ahmadi believes the Bundesliga misfit should not be going anywhere for more than £9 million this summer.
Pepi has made his feelings clear on a potential return to parent club Augsburg this summer.
Both he and his agent have all-but ruled out a long-term future at the Bundesliga outfit. Pepi has not scored a single goal in Augsburg colours after becoming the club’s £17 million record signing a year ago, farmed out on loan to relegation-threatened Groningen.
And, according to BILD, Crystal Palace could give Augsburg the chance to cash in on a player who never looked settled in Germany during the upcoming summer transfer window. The Bavarian outfit reportedly want to recoup around £15 million.
But El Ahmadi, the one-time Aston Villa midfielder who inspired Feyenoord to Eredivisie glory in 2017, believes £15 million is too much based on Pepi’s performances at Groningen.
Crystal Palace like Augsburg’s Bundesliga misfit Ricardo Pepi
“I think that you should not sign players (such as Pepi) above 10 million euros,” El Ahmadi tells Voetbal Praat.
Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord have been linked. El Ahmadi, however, believes Pepi has not done enough during a hit-and-miss spell in the Netherlands to suggest he is worthy of joining one o the division’s most historic clubs for a substantial sum.
“I also don’t think he will be a striker who is equal to PSV or Feyenoord,” El Ahmadi adds. “You can expect (to sign a striker who would walk into the first XI) for almost 10 million euros. He must be right (for the club).
“Pepi will not play at PSV either.”
Pepi has scored 11 goals in 23 Eredivisie starts for Groningen. The 20-year-old USA international may be well suited to life at Selhurst Park, however; Crystal Palace looking to build a squad chock-full of talented, technically-gifted youngsters such as Michael Olise, Ebere Eze, Naouirou Ahamada and co.
Pepi shot to fame in the MLS as a teenager at FC Dallas. The Texan-born poacher models his game on two of the modern game’s most iconic centre-forwards.
“Robert (Lewandowski) and Erling Haaland, I compare my game to,” says Pepi; his 6ft 1in frame and clinical finishing skills off both feet comparing favourably to a pair of superstar strikers.
“I like to watch their movements and do some video work on them. Lewandowski is one of the best strikers in the world and I like to compare myself to him – a lot.”
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