Americans Abroad: Ricardo Pepi aims to help PSV rebound, AC Milan's Yunus Musah aims to continue impressing Ruben Amorim against Manchester United

PSV won last season’s championship by 19 points and are chasing their fourth consecutive Eredivisie title, so odds are last weekend’s draw against Fortuna Sittard was merely a blip.

Still, could complacency - combined with the impact of losing stars season after season - be starting to take a toll? The Rood-witten saw rising USMNT star Malik Tillman depart for Bayer Leverkusen last summer, while Ismael Saibari completed a big-money move to Bayern Munich this summer. Add in the fact that fellow Americans Ricardo Pepi and Sergino Dest have also been linked with moves away, and it very much feels like a period of transition for the club, whose director of football is former USMNT star Earnie Stewart.

This weekend, Pepi and PSV have an opportunity to restore normal service when they travel to face Excelsior. The Rotterdam club narrowly escaped relegation last season but began this campaign impressively, beating Cambuur 4-0 in its opener.

In truth, Pepi should have scored last weekend. He recorded a game-high eight touches inside the opposition box and led all players with four shots but failed to convert. If he wants to demonstrate that he can be counted on as PSV’s leading scorer, those are the opportunities he must take.

Dest’s situation is more uncertain. He missed the opening draw through suspension but is eligible to return against Excelsior. The right back drew reported interest from Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer, although no move materialized and he now appears increasingly likely to remain at PSV. His reported €23 million release clause is due to expire after Aug. 15, after which PSV will no longer be obligated to sell him for that figure. Still, the sooner Dest returns to the field and begins performing consistently, the sooner a move back to one of Europe’s biggest leagues could return to the table.

The 2025-26 season was a nightmare for Yunus Musah, who arrived at Atalanta on loan from AC Milan with high expectations and an option to buy attached to the deal. He made 20 Serie A appearances but started just five, contributing one goal and no assists. Musah never found a consistent role, and Atalanta declined to exercise its purchase option, sending him back to Milan once the loan expired.

For Musah, it was another frustrating setback. In 2019, The Guardian named him among the 60 best young talents in world soccer, and his future appeared brighter than ever when he left Valencia to join one of the world’s biggest clubs in Milan four years later. Since arriving in Italy, however, a combination of managerial turmoil and his own inconsistency has prevented him from locking down a defined role. He then missed the 2026 World Cup after starring for the USMNT at the 2022 tournament.

Now, with his fifth Milan manager in three years, Musah has another fresh start under Ruben Amorim. The 23-year-old has featured regularly during preseason, and reports in Italy indicate Amorim plans to keep him, valuing his pace, versatility and ability to carry the ball through midfield. Preseason minutes are no guarantee of a significant role once competitive matches begin, but Milan’s apparent decision to retain him suggests there is a place for him in Amorim’s plans.

Musah now has another opportunity to prove himself against - you guessed it - Manchester United, the club Amorim left following an acrimonious split in January. It is another chance for a versatile player who still possesses plenty of promise to demonstrate why he belongs at this level.

His teammate Christian Pulisic will remain sidelined as he continues recovering from the bone bruise and microfractures in his right leg that he suffered during the USMNT’s World Cup exit against Belgium.

At one point, Gianluca Busio, much like Musah, was viewed as a major part of the USMNT’s future. He made his senior international debut at 19, but Venezia’s repeated movement between Italy’s top two divisions has made it difficult for him to build sustained momentum at the highest level. Despite remaining a regular for his club, Busio has largely been a bit player for the USMNT, earning 17 caps and none since November 2024.

That could soon change. Busio quietly produced an excellent 2025-26 campaign, recording seven goals and four assists across 37 league appearances while helping Venezia win Serie B and secure an immediate return to the top flight. His form and growing influence were rewarded this summer when the 24-year-old was named club captain.

Before Venezia open their Serie A campaign at home against Lecce on Aug. 23, Busio will receive his first competitive test of the season Saturday against Modena in the opening round of the Coppa Italia. Venezia should be favored at home against Serie B opposition, and the match offers Busio an opportunity to begin his captaincy with a victory while carrying last season’s momentum into the new campaign.

Based on his form, leadership role, and return to Serie A alone, Busio should be in contention for Mauricio Pochettino’s September camp. A strong start in the top flight could make him increasingly difficult to ignore.

Let’s admit it: There is something fun about an American-heavy club in Britain. Fulham had Brian McBride, Kasey Keller, Clint Dempsey and Eddie Johnson; Rangers had Carlos Bocanegra, Alejandro Bedoya and Maurice Edu; and, more recently, Jesse Marsch’s Leeds featured Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and Weston McKennie. Now, Middlesbrough have assembled their own USMNT trio in Sebastian Berhalter, Aidan Morris and Max Arfsten.

That alone gives American fans another reason to tune into England’s second tier. The Championship also features West Brom’s George Campbell, Southampton’s Damion Downs and Charlton’s Charlie Kelman, while Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang remains sidelined by an Achilles injury.

Boro’s competitive season is already underway. Berhalter and Arfsten both started last Friday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over Wrexham, and Middlesbrough now host newly promoted Lincoln City in their Championship opener Saturday.

After missing promotion in agonizing fashion last season - conceding in the 95th minute of a 1-0 playoff-final defeat to Hull City - Boro have their sights set on another run at the Premier League. A strong start at the Riverside would go a long way toward setting the tone.

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