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Football has enjoyed a rapid growth in popularity in North America since the turn of the millennium.
Due to the United States' strategic position in global affairs, getting a sizable portion of its population to follow the game of football is of paramount importance.
In light of this, specific blueprints and alliances have been put in place by elite European clubs and their American counterparts in a bid to boost penetration.
Their efforts have begun to reap dividends, and football has started to gain in-roads as a mainstream sport in America. Beyond off-field gains, football in America has also seen exponential growth on the field in the last five years.
Many young American players are currently mainstays at the biggest clubs, proving their mettle against Europe's best. This was not the case in the past, where players like Clint Dempsey and Brad Friedel were the exceptions rather than the norm.
Mexico and the US share a continental rivalry for dominance and are, by far, the biggest and most successful national teams in CONCACAF. It also stands to reason that the two countries have the most representation in mainstream Europe.
Mexican legend Hugo Sanchez was arguably the first global superstar from North America following his legendary exploits in the colors of Real Madrid.
Pentapichichi's iconic standing in the Spanish capital helped pave the way for future El Tri stalwarts like Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Rafa Marquez and Raul Jimenez to blossom in Europe.
America has also had its fair share of players from the recent past who have made a mark at top clubs, including Brad Friedel, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard.
However, it cannot be argued that the USMNT is currently in something of a golden era in terms of producing talented players. The current crop is expected to be among the truly great national sides in the coming years.
This increasing profile of North American players has consequently led to them being in demand. It is no longer uncommon to see multiple top European clubs interested in the same player.
Here is a rundown of the top five most expensive North American players in football history.
#5 Weston McKennie - £22.7m (Schalke 04 to Juventus) - 2021
Weston McKennie is one of the torchbearers for the future of US football. He began his development in his home country before joining Schalke 04 in 2016.
He made his first-team debut a year later and soon grew into one of the most dependable players for the Bundesliga club.
A move to a bigger team was mooted, and Juventus came calling, first in the form of a one-year loan move in 2020, which was made permanent in March 2021.
The entire deal for the transfer cost £22.7 million, and the 22-year-old has since become a key player for the Turin side.
Also See: Six greatest players who never received an international cap
#4 Sergino Dest - £23.8m (Ajax to Barcelona) - 2020
Sergino Dest is an American who was born in the Netherlands. He began his development with Almere City before joining Ajax's youth team.
He proved his mettle with the Dutch giants and spent just one full season at the Johan Cruyff Arena before Barcelona signified their interest.
His transfer to Camp Nou in 2020 made him the first American to play for the Catalan giants. He ended his first season with the Blaugrana, having made 43 appearances in all competitions.
#3 Raul Jimenez - £30m (Benfica to Wolverhampton Wanderers) - 2019
Raul Jimenez's first sojourn into European football did not go too well, with a one-year spell at Atletico Madrid failing to hit the heights expected.
A luke-warm three-year spell at Benfica followed, but it was with Wolves in the Premier League that the Mexico international has truly blossomed.
The 30-year-old initially signed for the West Midlands club in the summer of 2018 following their promotion to the English top flight.
Jimenez helped Wolves secure European qualification for the first time in their history and was also voted as the club's player of the year.
It came as no surprise when the club sanctioned his purchase for a club-record fee of £30 million in March 2019, and Jimenez has gone on to repay every penny.
His decisiveness and clinicality in front of goal have been key to the defensive-minded club punching above their weight in the English top flight.
Also See: Seven European clubs to win a treble
#2 Hirving Lozano - £36m (PSV to Napoli) - 2019
Hirving Lozano began his career with Mexican side Pachuca before a three-year spell at PSV Eindhoven helped raise his profile in Europe.
Napoli came calling in the summer of 2019 and paid the Dutch club the sum of £36 million to complete his purchase.
Injuries and inconsistency, as well as the performances of Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne, mean that Lozano has not truly blossomed in Naples. However, he has still shown his capabilities on a few occasions.
#1 Christian Pulisic - £57.6m (Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea) - 2019
Christian Pulisic is the current face of American football, having inherited the mantle from previous stalwarts like Clint Dempsey, Alexis Lalas and Landon Donovan.
However, while his forebears failed to truly penetrate the upper echelons of European football, Pulisic is breaking new ground and setting the pace for others to follow.
The 22-year-old is one of several stars in the last decade who were given chances as a youngster at Borussia Dortmund before moving on to bigger things.
A move to Chelsea was completed in January 2019 for a then club-record fee of £57.6 million. However, the club's transfer ban at the time meant that he could not link up with his new team immediately.
He belatedly arrived at Stamford Bridge that summer and was one of the most important players in Chelsea's transitional season under Frank Lampard.
His importance was particularly noticeable post-lockdown when the US international was instrumental in helping Chelsea secure a top-four finish.
Pulisic also scored a goal in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid, and Chelsea went on to win the competition.
A serious injury in the final of the FA Cup ended Pulisic's season prematurely, and he has struggled to hit the same heights again.
Nevertheless, Christian Pulisic's quality is not in doubt. His role as the leader for the next generation of US stars is best exemplified by the fact that he became the youngest captain in the nation's history at the tender age of 20 years.
He even scored the winner in extra-time against Mexico to clinch the recently concluded CONCACAF Nations League title.
Also See: Brazil vs Argentina: All-time combined XI
