Anyone who has ever seen Christian Pulisic play, for either the USA or Borussia Dortmund, will know he is a precocious talent.
At 19, he has the world at his feet. In his home country – the USA, who he represents, rather than Croatia, who he could have chosen to play for through his grandfather – there is a real belief that he can go on to become their first genuine superstar player.
Born in 1998, he has already cemented a status of potential world-beater on this side of the pond, and is regarded in America as someone with the ability to propel their side forward in the same manner that Gareth Bale has with Wales.
With 20 international games under his belt, and nine goals so far, as well as 55 Bundesliga appearances yielding eight goals and 15 assists, and 15 Champions League appearances, he already has pedigree at the top level.
Skilful, quick, mature and focused, the creative attacker has cemented a place in the Dortmund team and has looked confident and assured.
Both Liverpool and Manchester United are said to be keen, and rightly so. Both have American owners and large stateside fan bases; in a football world where revenue is king, this could be the perfect deal to seal.
At the perfect age for Jurgen Klopp to mould, Pulisic would be ideal as a player. He is already a good player, but will need more guidance to fully exploit his potential.
Primarily a wide man, he can also play as an attacking midfielder, potentially making him someone the Merseyside club could target to replace Philippe Coutinho.
It is no secret that United wanted a winger last summer, and still will, having failed to acquire Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan, despite the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, and Pulisic – valued at £40.5m by transfermarkt.com – fits the bill.
Like with Liverpool, it is logical from the perspective of the money-men as well as the scouts.
No doubt the fee to prise him away from the Rhine area would be astronomical. Given Ousmane Dembele set Barcelona back around an inflated £130 million last summer, a similar price-tag would likely be demanded.
But neither side are short of cash, with Manchester United’s financial power well-documented and Liverpool flush with the Coutinho money, and so that would not be a problem.
Simply for his marketability the transfer fee would be vast, but the reward of having a player of his level is a guaranteed income for the next 15 years.
For both Manchester United and Liverpool, the American fan base is enormous, but a signing like this would propel that to another level.
Securing the USA’s prodigy would represent a smart move for either. It might be that he moves this summer, or at some point in the future, and all the top clubs will be in for him.
The optimal blend of ability and exportability, both Liverpool and Manchester United should be right at the front of the queue for Christian Pulisic.
