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Although not the most popular sport in the continent, football is gradually gaining a foothold in North America.
In recent times, many North American nations like Costa Rica, Mexico and the USA have had inspired runs at the FIFA World Cup. That has led to many players from North America getting the opportunity to ply their trades in the lucrative top football leagues in Europe.
On that note, let's have a look at the ten most valuable North American players at the moment:
#10 Sergino Dest (USA) - €25 million
One of the exciting young right-backs in the game at the moment, Sergino Dest has evoked memories of a certain Dani Alves with his performances at Barcelona.
The 20-year-old, who had a prolific spell at Ajax to catch the attention of the Blaugrana, particularly impressed in the El Clasico game against Real Madrid earlier in the season.
Dest can make marauding runs down the flanks and also possesses the ability to dribble at pace.
Although he was criticised by his manager Ronald Koeman for 'switching off' against Kylian Mbappe in Barcelona's 1-4 home defeat to PSG in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg, Dest is here to stay for the long haul.
The player, who has scored once and assisted once in almost 30 games this season, recently opened up on why he chose Barcelona:
“FC Barcelona was the club of my dreams. I’ve always wanted to play for Barca at one point or another ,and then I got the opportunity, Bayern Munich still existed; it wasn’t an easy decision. They are both great teams, but then I listened to my heart and said to myself that Barcelona was the place for me. That’s why I went to Barca.”
#9 Weston McKennie (USA) - €25 million
Weston McKennie hasn't even been in the Serie A for an entire season, but he is already the most prolific American goal-scorer in the competition after arriving from Schalke in the summer.
Continuing his fine start to life at Juventus, the 22-year-old midfielder has scored five times and registered two assists in all competitions for the Serie A giants.
Considering McKennie's fine form, Juventus are reportedly mulling to make the player's loan move permanent. The Bianconeri's head coach Andrea Pirlo recently said about the young American:
"We were the quickest ones to sign him, and we are happy he is part of the squad. He is a humble guy who always wants to improve, especially on a technical level. He needs to improve when he receives the ball, but he knows this is only a starting point.”
#8 Jesus Corona (Mexico) - €30 million
Jesus Corona has had a stellar stint at Porto since arriving at the Portuguese giants from Twente in the summer of 2015.
The two-time Portuguese league champion has scored 31 times and provided 65 assists in over 250 games in all competitions for the club.
The 28-year-old midfielder was voted the Player of the Year by coaches and captains of the Portuguese top flight last season.
#7 Jonathan David (Canada) - €30 million
One of the most promising young Canadian players in the game, Jonathan David had a blistering spell with Gent, prompting Lille to come calling.
The 21-year-old centre-forward, who has scored seven times in the league, recently netted a brace that helped Lille stay top of the 2020-21 Ligue 1 table.
David, who has scored five times since the turn of the year, recently credited his head coach Christophe Galtier for helping him turn his fortunes around. He said in this regard:
“I’ve started to score more than I was at the start of the season. I’m feeling more confident. Even though I wasn’t scoring before, I had the chances to do so. Now when I get the chance, I take it, and that’s made the difference. He would tell me that even when I wasn’t scoring, I was doing good things on the pitch. I work very hard to help out defensively. I run into space to take defenders with me and free up my teammates. The coach really helped me.”
#6 Leon Bailey (Jamaica) - €35 million
Leon Bailey has been a key player for Bayer Leverkusen since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2017.
The 23-year-old Jamaican winger has netted 35 times and provided 24 assists in nearly 150 games for the Bundesliga club.
Bailey has scored five times apiece in the Bundesliga and the Europa League this season, helping Leverkusen to fourth in the league table. However, the Bundesliga club are out of the Europa League following a 3-6 aggregate defeat to Young Boys in the Round of 32.
#5 Giovanni Reyna (USA) - €38 million
Arguably the most promising of a bevy of young Americans making their mark on the European stage, Giovanni Reyna has been on fire this season.
The 18-year-old, who made his professional debut with Borussia Dortmund last season, has netted thrice and bagged five assists in the league despite his team's indifferent league campaign.
Reyna, who plays in attacking midfield, scored against Panama in an international friendly last year to become one of the youngest scorers in his country's history.
#4 Hirving Lozano (Mexico) - €38 million
Hirving Lozano, who plays as a winger for Napoli, has become a regular in Gennaro Gattuso's first team since arriving at the Southern Italian club last season.
The 25-year-old has been in imperious form this campaign, scoring nine times in the Serie A and thrice in the Coppa Italia.
The Mexican international is, however, out of action for a month after sustaining a hamstring injury.
#3 Raul Jimenez (Mexico) - €40 million
Raul Jimenez has been a key player for Wolverhampton Wanderers since his arrival at the Premier League club three seasons ago.
The 29-year-old has already scored 67 times and provided 18 assists in all competitions to endear himself to the club's faithful.
Jimenez, however, is currently out with an injury. Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo recently provided an update on the player's return when he said:
“He’s doing good. We had consultation and the results are amazing, so gradually he will progress, but it’s too soon to predict an exact moment. He’s working by himself, but with a good intensity in his training sessions, so we are really positive and delighted that everything’s going to be OK.”
#2 Christian Pulisic (USA) - €60 million
Christian Pulisic, a prodigy who burst onto the scene at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, currently plies his trade at Premier League giants Chelsea.
After arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2019, the 22-year-old American has netted 17 goals and provided 20 assists in various competitions while playing under two different managers.
Touted as one of the exciting young talents in the game, it was no surprise to see Chelsea shell out £58 million for the player's services.
Pulisic is a truly world-class player who exudes maturity beyond his years, something that is evident in his tally of over 100 appearances for Dortmund before turning 21.
Unsurprisingly, Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has tipped Pulisic for a long stint at the club, saying in this regard:
“He proved in many weeks that he has the level to be a regular Chelsea player, to have a big impact in this club. It’s a challenge now to hold this level, to improve and to maintain the level and to keep improving.”
#1 Alphonso Davies (Canada) - €75 million
One of the game's most endearing rags-to-riches stories in recent times, Alphonso Davies has come a long way since fleeing a Ghanian refugee camp in search of a chance at a better future.
The 20-year-old was a key player in Bayern Munich's treble-winning campaign last season, scoring thrice and providing ten assists in all competitions.
The player impressed with his pace and physicality to the extent that regular left-back David Alaba had to be moved to centre-back to accommodate Davies in the lineup.
After a breakout campaign last season, the young Canadian has struggled to hit the same heights due to a combination of injuries, poor form and the reemergence of other players at his position.
Davies, who has scored just once this season, recently talked about the hype surrounding him, especially after his exploits last season, saying:
"I'm getting better with every game. I also know that I have to look after my body even better than last year. That's the only way I can perform to the standard expected of us at Bayern, and live up to my own expectations. People say success goes to your head, but that's not the case with me. I have a lot of people around me who keep me grounded. There's no risk of me getting caught up in all the hype."
