With Balogun and Pepi both heading to a home World Cup this summer, and with speculation suggesting that they are registering on Premier League recruitment radars, could they be embracing fresh starts at club level in 2026-27?

Responding to that question, ex-USMNT goalkeeper Friedel – speaking exclusively to GOAL in association with MrQ – said: “Both of them could play in England for sure, depending on the size of the club.

“I think someone like Pepi would need to be one of the mid to lower teams. Something like Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham. And I don’t mean that they have to finish mid-table, but they’re more mid-tier in terms of expectation and pressure. The teams I’ve mentioned, they’re fantastic clubs, but I think if he moved to a Manchester United or Arsenal, it would be too much for him, too quick.

“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.

“But I think both of them are very, very good. And it just depends on what style of play. I think Pepi was linked to Fulham, correct? And 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. It’s almost like how Fulham had [Brian] McBride going and [Clint] Dempsey coming in. I know McBride was a little better in the air and Dempsey more on the ground, but Dempsey was still very good in the air and McBride still was too with his feet, so it’s very similar like that, the comparison of Pepi and Jimenez.

“But 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.”