FC Dallas have signed Ricardo Pepi to a new contract, but Bologna continue to pursue the teenage striker.
The 18-year-old officially put pen to paper today, locking him down until December 31, 2026.
However, Tuttomercatoweb insist that does not change the approach from Bologna.
It is simply a way of ensuring the MLS club can monetise on Pepi’s sale and not risk losing him as a free agent.
Pepi has been hugely impressive in this Major League Soccer campaign, scoring eight goals in 14 appearances, including a hat-trick.
He became the youngest ever player in MLS history to bag a hat-trick, aged 18 years and 196 days, during the game against the LA Galaxy.
Pepi has both Mexican and American citizenship, but has represented the USA at various youth levels, scoring six goals in 17 caps for the Under-17 team.
Bologna just brought in Marko Arnautovic from Shanghai Port for €3m, but want a younger forward to give them more options as well.
FC Dallas is becoming quite a feeder club for Italian football, as Bryan Reynolds also came through there to Roma.
We have signed Homegrown Ricardo Pepi to a new, five-year contract through 2026.
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) July 27, 2021