Balogun and Pepi: The Future of American Strikers

For years, the United States has talked about producing true European-level No.9s. Now, on the eve of a home World Cup, two of them are forcing their way into the conversation in a very real, very expensive way.

Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are not prospects anymore. They are assets. And, in the eyes of former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel, they are Premier League material.

Balogun, the Arsenal graduate who outgrew the academy tag

Born in New York but raised in Arsenal’s academy, Balogun spent years as one of those “one to watch” names on team sheets and youth reports. The breakthrough in north London never truly came: 10 competitive appearances, two goals in the Europa League, flashes rather than a run.

His reputation exploded somewhere else.

A loan spell at Reims turned him from intriguing youngster into €40 million striker. Twenty-two goals in France convinced Monaco to write that cheque in 2023, and this past season he delivered his most complete campaign yet, scoring 19 times across all competitions. Not just a hot streak. A body of work.

That output, that price tag, that education at Arsenal – it all feeds into Friedel’s conviction that Balogun is ready for England’s elite.

“With Balogun, I think Balogun could play at one of the big boys and deal with the perception and reality situation,” Friedel told GOAL in association with MrQ, stressing that the forward now carries the profile of a seasoned European player. The stage, the scrutiny, the expectation – he believes Balogun can handle it.

Pepi, the fast riser who keeps finding the net

Pepi’s route has been different. Less noise, more grind.

He landed in Europe with Augsburg in January 2022, a teenager dropped into the Bundesliga and told to swim. The numbers weren’t spectacular early on, but the learning curve was steep and constant.

The real lift came with PSV.

In Eindhoven, Pepi has not always been first choice, yet he still matched Balogun’s 19-goal haul while helping PSV to another Eredivisie title. Impact minutes, important goals, a striker growing into himself at one of Europe’s great development clubs.

Friedel sees a Premier League future here too, but one built on the right environment rather than a headline move.

“Both of them could play in England for sure, depending on the size of the club,” he said. For Pepi, he draws a clear line. “Someone like Pepi would need to be one of the mid to lower teams. Something like Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham… if he moved to a Manchester United or Arsenal, it would be too much for him, too quick.”

This isn’t a slight. It’s a fit question. Pressure, expectation, time to grow. Clubs where a young striker can miss a chance on Saturday and still start the following week.

Fulham, Jiménez and echoes of McBride and Dempsey

The Fulham link catches Friedel’s imagination. Pepi has already been mentioned in connection with the west London club, and the stylistic comparison is obvious to him.

He looks at Raul Jiménez and sees a template. “If you look at that, you see Raul Jiménez and his style and Pepi’s, they’re very similar. I think that would actually be a seamless transition.”

Fulham have been here before with Americans. Brian McBride. Clint Dempsey. Two forwards who earned cult status at Craven Cottage, different in profile but aligned in mentality.

“It’s almost like how Fulham had McBride going and Dempsey coming in,” Friedel said. McBride, dominant in the air. Dempsey, more ground-based but still strong aerially. Different strengths, shared toughness. He sees something of that dynamic in a potential Jiménez–Pepi handover.

For Friedel, it all adds up to one clear expectation.

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Balogun or Pepi in England next season, and I think they could both be successful in the Premier League.”

Pochettino’s call: Balogun first, Pepi as the hammer off the bench

Before the transfer market starts moving, though, comes something even bigger: the 2026 World Cup on home soil. And the battle to lead the line for Mauricio Pochettino’s United States.

Asked to pick a starter, Friedel didn’t hesitate.

“Balogun would be my pick,” he said. The reasoning goes back to Pochettino’s long-standing preferences. “If you look historically at Pochettino’s teams, he usually likes to have players who play very vertically and who are really dynamic, and that’s more of what Balogun is.”

Balogun as the spearhead, stretching defenses, attacking space, living on the shoulder of the last man. Pepi as the alternative weapon.

“And then to have the option of Pepi, who again will work really hard, but is very good in the box, good in the air, to come off the bench.” A different look for tired defenses, a penalty-box striker arriving when legs are heavy and crosses start to fly.

The schedule and conditions could force rotation anyway. Group-stage games in North American summer heat, players arriving off long European seasons, little recovery time. Friedel can see Pochettino shuffling his pack.

“I could also see a little bit of a rotation in the group phase, because it’s also going to be very hot over here. And the players have just come off, those two especially, a long season. So you could see Mauricio maybe wanting to take a different tactical approach against Paraguay and Australia.”

Turkiye lurking at the end

Then comes the sting in the group: Turkiye.

“Hopefully, they have points in the bag by the time they play Turkiye,” Friedel warned. Because if they don’t, that final match could turn brutal.

“If they’re not careful by the time they get to Turkiye, and they have to win that match, Turkiye is a very talented possession-based team.”

That is the backdrop for Balogun and Pepi. Not just transfer talk, not just club futures in England or elsewhere, but a World Cup group where one misstep can turn a celebration into a scrap.

Two American strikers, both scoring freely in Europe, both on Premier League shortlists, both vying to be the face of a home World Cup attack.

Only one can walk out first when the anthem hits.