Source: WhoScored via Twitter
Liverpool have invested heavily over the summer, strengthening their team for an assault on the Premier League. However, their spending may not be over, with reports suggesting that the Reds could move for rising star of United States’ football Christian Pulisic.
Klopp was with Borussia Dortmund when Pulisic signed at the club in his early teenage years. Liverpool reportedly had a bid rebuffed for the American’s signature in 2016, but have now set their sights on the 19-year-old once again after impressing in his first two full seasons in the Bundesliga.
Whether Liverpool could convince Die Schwarzgelben to part with one of their key assets for the future remains another matter. With the Reds, Pulisic would have to break past the trio of attacking players in the final third Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Whereas at Dortmund, Pulisic would remain a pivotal part of the squad and his role would become even more vital given the departures of Andre Schurrle and Andriy Yarmolenko to Fulham and West Ham respectively, which will boost their prospects of finishing in the top half of the table in the latest Premier League betting odds, leaving a void for Dortmund in the process.
The 19-year-old has the opportunity to make the Dortmund side his own under new manager Lucien Favre. With two seasons under his belt, he is already ahead of Jadon Sancho and Alexander Isak in the final third in terms of experience and his role in the starting line-up.
Marco Reus’ injury problems make him an unreliable prospect, despite his talent, putting a lot of pressure on Pulisic to thrive for Favre’s team. Fortunately for the American, he has talent in abundance and has not been deterred by the responsibility in the past.
Dortmund have endured an exodus of key players since their rise to the top of German football under Klopp. Robert Lewandowski, Mats Hummels, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ilkay Gundogan, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are among the leading men to have left Signal-Iduna Park since the team’s last Bundesliga triumph in 2012.
However, it has been the mantra of the club to allow their ageing stars to leave for significant transfer fees. Yarmolenko and Schurrle are both in their late twenties, and although they remain quality players good enough for the Premier League, their stock is not going to rise further. Pulisic, on the other hand, has the potential to become a superstar – the US’ first elite player in the game.
Source: USMNTOnly via Twitter
Pulisic proved that he was on the road to greatness, becoming the youngest player to score for the United States in the modern era in May 2016 when he found the net against Bolivia. He has broken records throughout his fledgling career in the Bundesliga and at international level.
He boasts a fine goal record for the States’ scoring nine goals in 21 appearances and is well on his way to beating the mark of 57 set by Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. For the benefit of his career a move away from Dortmund, where he is set and will have an integral role in the side, would not be beneficial. Another two or three seasons in the system could see him develop quickly and catch the eye of the world’s other giants outside of Merseyside.
