Fabrizio Romano has said that Fulham have already agreed their first signing of the summer in advance, and he could have a medical imminent.
Marco Silva's side have been something of a mystery this season.
Sitting in 11th place in the Premier League with 41 points, the Cottagers have never reached the level their team suggested they might get points for this season.
A 2-1 win at Tottenham and a recent 3-1 win at Sunderland showed what they can do at their best, but a 1-0 home defeat to West Ham, an FA Cup exit against Southampton and Sunday's 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest – failing to register a single goal – is a reminder that consistency has eluded them.
With Burnley at home next and a run-in involving Liverpool and Arsenal, there is still plenty to play for in the top half as Silva, who faces an uncertain future, contemplates his long-term stay in west London.
Fulham rival Crystal Palace 'one of Europe's most wanted managers'
He is not working now.
But while results on the pitch have been mixed, business behind the scenes is picking up fast – and this afternoon Fulham made the statement of intent their fans have been waiting for for months.
Fulham have agreed a £31m deal to sign Ricardo Pepi from PSV Eindhoven
Indeed, Romano has now confirmed that Fulham have reached a verbal agreement with PSV Eindhoven to sign USA international striker Ricardo Pepi in a £31m package deal.
Personal terms have also been agreed with the 23-year-old, and the Texan could be tested at Craven Cottage in the coming days.
The deal puts an end to one of the transfer sagas that has plagued many this season.
Fulham first targeted Pepi months ago, submitting multiple bids which were knocked back by PSV. The deal was done on the January deadline – with a fee agreed between the clubs – only to collapse in the final crisis when PSV could not find a replacement in time.
Pepi, who broke his forearm in a league game against Excelsior in January, remained in Eindhoven to recover while Fulham regrouped and climbed back up the table.
He is back in action and has 13 goals in 27 games this season.
PSV, who have given him a contract until 2030, have been holding out for £36m – but the two clubs have now secured similar deals, and Romano's confirmation puts him firmly in the done deal stage.
Pepi represents a real coup.
The El Paso-born striker broke through at FC Dallas before moving on to Augsburg, where a difficult spell was quickly followed by a flexible loan spell at Groningen.
His permanent move to PSV for just £7m in 2023 now looks like a bargain, with the Eredivisie giants set to almost double their investment.
He's a powerful, penalty-in-the-box forward with 39 goals in 95 games for PSV – mobile, good in the air, and designed for the kind of wide, direct football that Fulham play at their best.
With Raul Jimenez out of contract in the summer, Pepi arrives at the perfect time – and with the World Cup at home in the USA coming up this summer, he will be eager to hit the ground running.
Bid lined up: Fulham are now ready to make a £26m offer to sign the Serie A star wanted by Juventus and Napoli.
The Cottagers are keen to launch a move for the midfielder.
