Sources: Ricardo Pepi move to Fulham collapses after Troy Parrott contact made
PSV Eindhoven have had an enquiry for Troy Parrott rejected by AZ Alkmaar with huge ramifications for Fulham’s hopes of signing Ricardo Pepi, sources have told Football Insider.
PSV Eindhoven have since pulled the plug on Pepi’s potential move to Fulham, as they would only let him leave if they could bring in a replacement.
The Cottagers hoped to sign the forward, who has scored 11 goals in 22 games across all competitions this season, but they will be forced to look elsewhere.
West Ham are the favourites to sign Parrott, but the Ireland international looks set to stay at AZ until the summer.
Leeds United had been strongly linked to Parrott earlier in the window, but a bid never materialised for the 23-year-old.
Fulham set to miss out on Ricardo Pepi
Fulham looked to be close to signing Pepi just over a week ago, but reportedly switched their focus to completing a deal for Oscar Bobb.
With the deal now confirmed, Fulham have signed Bobb from Man City in a deal worth around £27million, although they appear to have missed their chance for Pepi.
| Ricardo Pepi | Eredivisie |
| Appearances | 15 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Successful dribbles | 8 |
| Duels won | 21 |
PSV made it clear that they would not sanction a deal for the striker without a replacement, but the Dutch side have been unable to find an alternative.
The 23-year-old is currently out of action after fracturing his forearm, but he has been in superb form this season.
Pepi has scored eight goals in just 15 Eredivisie games, and has netted against Napoli, Olympiacos and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
A knee injury cut his last campaign short, but he netted 18 goals in 29 games across all competitions and would, undoubtedly, have been a great option for Marco Silva.
Troy Parrott biding his time ahead of Premier League return
Parrott left Tottenham in 2024 for AZ, and the move has paid off massively for his career. The 23-year-old netted 20 goals in 47 games across all competitions last season, but he is now blowing those numbers out of the water.
In just 28 games this season so far, the Ireland international has already surpassed that tally, with 21 goals.
And his form has not only been restricted to club level, with Parrott, incredibly, scoring five goals in three games as his nation qualified for the World Cup in November.
With a summer return to the Premier League on the cards, Tottenham will rue the decision to sell him for just £6.7million in 2024.