Balogun for the 'big boys' and Pepi for mid-tier Premier League clubs

With Balogun and Pepi heading to a home World Cup this summer and linked with Premier League interest, ex-USMNT goalkeeper Friedel assessed where each might fit at club level for 2026-27. Friedel said: 'I think someone like Pepi would need to be one of the mid to lower teams.

Something like Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham.' He clarified he did not mean those clubs must finish mid-table, but that they are 'more mid-tier in terms of expectation and pressure,' and that a move to 'Manchester United or Arsenal' would be 'too much... too quick' for Pepi.

On Balogun, Friedel said: 'I think Balogun could play at one of the big boys and deal with the perception and reality situation,' noting Balogun would be seen as more 'seasoned' because of his history in Europe and that much depends on a club's style of play. He pointed to a stylistic fit at Fulham, comparing Pepi to Raul Jiménez and calling the move 'a seamless transition,' likening it to Fulham's change from Brian McBride to Clint Dempsey.

England

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