PSV Eindhoven needed a “prince on a white horse” to arrive on deadline day to sanction Ricardo Pepi joining Fulham.
That’s according to journalist Rik Elfrink. Voetbal Zone cover comments from him today made to Eindhovens Dagblad.
The newspaper reports that PSV rejected Fulham’s multi million offer for Pepi, which eventually reached €35m. They decided, despite being tempted by the money, that they didn’t want the striker to leave in the January window.
That came after weeks of efforts from Fulham, who were unperturbed by the fact Pepi is currently out with a broken arm.
Instead, they continued upping their bids for the striker, believing a deal was possible. PSV were resistant at first but soon started to waver as Fulham’s bids got higher. They eventually reached €35m before PSV made a definite decision. Pepi was not for sale.
For them to sanction a departure they would have needed a “prince on a white horse” to arrive according to Elfrink. In other words, the Dutch side needed an immediate replacement to arrive. That was extremely slim on the final day of the window, so they blocked it.
“Bringing someone in now is often incredibly expensive,” the journalist explained about last-minute deals.
Now, the focus turns to the summer. PSV are open to a sale but want as much as €45m for their man. The hope at the club is that Pepi performs at the World Cup and ramps up his price. In the meantime, they can look for a ready-made replacement Prince Charming in peace.