20-Year-Old Is America's Priciest Soccer Player by Far

English club Chelsea pays $73M for Christian Pulisic
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 2, 2019 12:31 PM CST
20-Year-Old Is Priciest American Soccer Player Ever
Borussia Dortmund said in a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019 that Chelsea found an agreement with Pulisic but he will remain on loan in Dortmund until the end of the season.   (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, file)

Christian Pulisic became the most expensive American soccer player in history after completing a transfer to English club Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. Chelsea paid $73 million for the 20-year-old United States winger, who will be loaned back to Dortmund for the rest of this season. The German club won't have to pay Chelsea for the loan. The fee is easily the biggest paid for an American player, surpassing the reported $22.5 million spent by German team Wolfsburg for John Brooks in 2017, reports the AP. "It was always Christian's big dream to play in the Premier League," Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said. "That certainly has to do with his American origins, and so it wasn't possible for us to extend his contract."

The Hershey, Pennsylvania-native's contract with Dortmund was due to expire at the end of next season. "It is a privilege to have signed for such a legendary club," Pulisic said of the London team that has won five Premier League titles since 2005. He thanked Dortmund for "finding a solution that was win-win for everyone." Despite the price tag, the signing could be somewhat of a coup for Chelsea if it helps the club establish a larger American fan base. "He's one of the great young talents in the world," former US defender Alexi Lalas wrote on Twitter. "He just happens to be American...which makes him even more valuable."

(More soccer stories.)

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