Pulisic has been touted as the most high-profile American player of his generationGETTY IMAGES
EPL club Chelsea likely is "counting on a marketing bump" in America over the next few years after agreeing to a $73.1 transfer fee with Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund for USMNT F Christian Pulisic, according to Steven Goff of the WASHINGTON POST. Through preseason tours and TV exposure, European clubs have "made great strides in recent years appealing to U.S. audiences." However, Chelsea is "not nearly as popular here as the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich." Given the "historical ties" between England and the U.S. -- and that NBC Sports' "presentation of the Premier League is akin to NFL coverage -- Chelsea is eyeing an uptick in exposure and jersey sales." Meanwhile, NBC is "certainly thrilled about building coverage around an exciting U.S. player" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/3). In N.Y., Rory Smith notes Chelsea likely will see some "marketing benefits of employing the most high-profile American player of his generation." Chelsea Dir Marina Granovskaia also described the signing as "something of a coup for Pulisic’s on-field qualities" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/3).
CAN YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE? THE RINGER's Donnie Kwak noted Pulisic could be the "highest-profile U.S. player ever" in the EPL, and his move to Chelsea is "something akin to a blue-chip college basketball star making the jump to the next level." The pressure to succeed "will be immense, as will the media coverage" (THERINGER.com, 1/2). SI.com's Grant Wahl noted Pulisic will now become associated with the $73.1M transfer price -- a record for a U.S.-born player -- meaning he will be "expected to become a real star who helps lead his team to the trophies that matter the most in world soccer." That is "what Pulisic has always dreamed of, and now he’ll have that chance." At Chelsea he will "have the opportunity to become the first global American men’s soccer superstar," but he "has to make the most of it" (SI.com, 1/2).
