Fulham chased PSV Eindhoven’s Ricardo Pepi throughout the winter market and failed to secure his services.
At the start of the recently concluded window, the Dutch club rejected Fulham’s initial bid. On January 12th, PSV general manager Marcel Brands revealed Marco Silva’s side offered €25m.
Fulham didn’t give up and their last bid was around €35m, made towards the end of the window. There wasn’t enough time for PSV to secure a suitable replacement for the American.
Eindhovens Dagblad journalist Rik Elfrink said PSV needed a ‘prince on a white horse’ to sanction a deadline move to Fulham.
The winter market in the Netherlands closed on Tuesday evening. ESPN NL caught up with PSV technical director Earnie Stewart to discuss their business and their decision to not let some players leave. This includes Pepi as PSV turned down Fulham’s offers for him.
“It’s true they were interested in Pepi, but we want to become champions and win the cup. So, in that respect, we’re happy he’s still here,” he said.
“The market isn’t such that you can simply find a replacement of Pepi’s calibre. And if you do, what will it cost?”
Fulham could return in the summer
Earlier this week, claims from the Dutch press indicated Fulham may have reached an agreement with PSV for Pepi to join them in the summer.
The Eredivisie side’s director didn’t mention this. However, he did warn Fulham or another club keen on signing Pepi in the summer over his valuation.
“For us, it’s better not to take the bait. He could become even more valuable. That’s possible, but first and foremost, it’s about his performance. You don’t just let one of your top scorers go without being able to bring someone back,” Stewart explained.