TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Extension
FC Dallas and forward Ricardo Pepi have agreed to a five-year contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.
Pepi, 18, is in the midst of a breakout campaign with eight goals in 14 appearances (nine starts) this season. The wunderkind made his MLS debut in 2019 after excelling with Dallas' USL League One affiliate, North Texas SC, for half a season. He's made 38 regular-season MLS appearances thus far.
“I'm very happy to give my everything to FC Dallas,” Pepi said in a club statement. “I want to thank the club for having that trust in me. It’s a big step in my career, personally and for my family.”
Pepi is the youngest player in MLS history to score a hat trick at 18 years and 196 days old, which came last weekend against the LA Galaxy. He's eligible for both the United States and Mexico national teams but has represented the USYNT extensively, most recently at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship.
A highly-rated talent, Pepi is reportedly being tracked by a number of clubs across the globe, including Bologna of Serie A and other Italian sides. He was among the club's contingent of homegrowns who went to train with partner side Bayern Munich last winter.
FC Dallas, who currently sit 10th in the Western Conference standings, travel to face Sporting Kansas City on Saturday (8:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+).
