Balogun Fits the Big Boys as Pepi Suits Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham
balogun and Ricardo Pepi have been framed for different Premier League lanes by Brad Friedel, who said the Monaco striker could handle one of the league’s “big boys” while Pepi fits a smaller club. Friedel also named Brentford, Bournemouth and Fulham as the kind of sides Pepi would need.
Friedel splits Balogun and Pepi
“Both of them could play in England for sure, depending on the size of the club,” Friedel said. He then drew the clearest line in the debate: “I think someone like Pepi would need to be one of the mid to lower teams. Something like Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham.”
For Balogun, the verdict ran the other way. “With Balogun, I think Balogun could play at one of the big boys and deal with the perception and reality situation, because I think he would be deemed more of a seasoned player - not being disrespectful of Pepi, it’s just his history in Europe.”
Monaco and PSV records
The contrast comes from their recent club paths. Balogun came through Arsenal’s academy, made 10 competitive appearances for the club and scored two Europa League goals before moving to Monaco in 2023 for €40 million.
At Monaco, he scored 19 goals across all competitions in his most productive campaign. Pepi, meanwhile, helped PSV win another Eredivisie title in the Netherlands after first arriving in Europe at Augsburg in January 2022.
Those records explain why Friedel drew a line between the two when talking about club level. Pepi has worked hard and offers goals in the box and in the air, but Friedel said a move to Manchester United or Arsenal would be “too much for him, too quick.” Balogun’s résumé, by contrast, was enough for Friedel to back him as the more ready-made option.
Pochettino’s World Cup choice
The debate does not stop at club fit. Balogun and Pepi are heading to a home World Cup this summer, and Friedel said that if he were in Mauricio Pochettino’s shoes, the call would be straightforward: “Balogun would be my pick.”
He also said Pochettino tends to prefer players who are very vertical and dynamic, which leaves the two strikers in different lanes for both club and country. For Pepi, the immediate path Friedel described runs through clubs like Brentford, Bournemouth or Fulham. For Balogun, it points toward a bigger Premier League stage, where his European history and Monaco scoring record give him a different kind of case.
