The Americans Abroad Five: Ricardo Pepi is playing hardball

The USMNT striker is taking a risk as he aims to escape Augsburg

Ricardo Pepi could have kept his grievances behind closed doors. He could’ve quietly asked Augsburg to let him leave and hoped his wish would be granted.

But Pepi, and his agent Jaime Garcia, have decided that quiet isn’t the way they want to do this.

In an explosive interview with Voetbal International, Garcia and Pepi put all their cards on the table. They don’t just want to leave Augsburg, they want the world to know just how awful the club’s been to them.

As much as they’d like it to be, leaving Augsburg isn’t all up to Garcia and Pepi. It was only 16 months ago that Augsburg invested a club-record $20 million into Pepi, and signed him to a contract through 2026.

They have an asset on their hands, albeit a disgruntled one, and are under no real pressure to let him go unless a suitable offer arrives.

But will such an offer come? Pepi’s big gamble leads off this week’s edition of the Americans Abroad Five.