5 most expensive North American players in football history

Christian Pulisic joined Chelsea in 2019
Christian Pulisic joined Chelsea in 2019

#3 Raul Jimenez - £30m (Benfica to Wolverhampton Wanderers) - 2019

Raul Jimenez is Wolves' talisman
Raul Jimenez is Wolves' talisman

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 joined Napoli in 2019
Hirving Lozano joined Napoli in 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 was made Chelsea's record signing in 2019
Christian Pulisic was made Chelsea's record signing in 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

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