Is Christian Pulisic worth all the hype?

Pulisic has become one of the most desired prospects in Europe / Image via back-post.com

Of course he is. Now let me dwell on it.

Europe has gone crazy over the American boy who is making headlines with his sizzling performances for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, and the UEFA Champions League as well. The 18-year-old midfielder keeps turning heads with his incredible emergence as Europe’s biggest club rally around looking for a chance to snatch this shining jewel.

There is not a single football fan on the planet who hasn’t heard of this young star by now, but let’s take an aim at who this Christian Pulisic really is and if he is really worth all the hype surrounding him.

Path to Prominence

United States of America have a bright football future – soccer future to be more precise – in young starlet Christian Pulisic. Son to a former American forward Mark, Christian was predestined to make a football career, having been exposed to the beautiful sport from his very first steps.

Descending from a Croatian grandfather, Christian Pulisic and his dad before him were born with a football gene that swims in abundance in this Eastern European country.

Having been further infected by the football virus during his mother’s working days in England, young Christian has rapidly gone through Borussia Dortmund’s academy having only made 15 appearances with his peers before breaking into the first team at the beginning of 2016.

Eight goals and as many assists for Dortmund’s Under 19s were a clear indicator of his incredible talent and quite enough the incentive for Thomas Tuchel to start involving the young star with first-team activities.

Following a full preseason with Bundesliga giants, Christian Pulisic has been given a much more important role in the new season.

Pulisic quickly went on to repay the trust he was shown by his head coach with compelling performances and a string of records, broken in less than a year’s time.

Steady Progress

Starting from the end of the January when Christian Pulisic became the youngest player to appear in 2015-16 season. The 18-year-old also became the youngest American to play in a UEFA competition as a late substitute in his team’s 2-0 UEFA Europa League over Porto.

His steady progress and burst onto the scene continued with him becoming the youngest American to play in a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala and subsequently a youngest American to score for USMNT in the modern era, with his late goal against Bolivia in May. His scoring exploits for America continued this September with a brace in the 6-0 win over St Vincent and the Grenadines, which helped him become a full senior team regular despite his tender age of 18.

The most recent record he broke occurred earlier this month in the UEFA Champions League as he became the youngest Dortmund player in the competition, in 6-0 victory over Legia Warsaw.

Dortmund play Real Madrid next and can be found at 6/4 betting odds to win against the reigning champions of Europe.

Ahead of this blockbuster clash here are some statistical aspects you could find helpful and insightful:

As cautious as I could possibly urge you to be with Christian Pulisic, the boy makes it virtually impossible to overlook his advent with consistent impact performances both for club and country. Dortmund starlet displays commendable mental strength which seems to be guiding him to becoming a top-level football from an early age.

Athletic and fast player with great technical skills and impressive awareness, Christian Pulisic’s ability to carry the ball forward with strength is something that goes in contrast to his relatively slight frame and fragile appearance.

Already compared to Shinji Kagawa and Marco Reus, Christian Pulisic appears to combine the best of both of his teammates as he is both capable of creating chances out of nothing and finishing on his own, with usually well-crafted, precise shots.

Overall and in general, Christian Pulisic is a confident young man who can play across different attacking positions – on either wing or just behind the strikers as a number ten. Europe’s top clubs have understandably been drawn by his on-ball play and off-the-ball movement, which is an equally impressive trait of this extremely intelligent player.

Future?

Top-notch performances have made Christian Pulisic one of the most sought-after youngster across the continent.

There have been some rumours surrounding the lad during summer, when it appeared that Pulisic was a bit impatient to break into Dortmund’s first-team fold, but the speculations are once again surrounding Borussia’s hot talent.

Active go-getter as he is, Christian Pulisic is not shy from taking initiative and he appears to be currently assessing his position at Borussia Dortmund, waiting to see how much first-team chances he is likely to get before pledging long-term alliance with Bundesliga giants.

Pulisic’s current deal runs until 2019, but the 18-year-old American turned down a new offer earlier this spring as he was not convinced by the club’s intentions or the proposed salary. Borussia Dortmund have made an improved offer and are ready to tie him to a new deal, but Pulisic appears to be stalling once again.

Premier League outfit Liverpool appear to be the reason for such a development.

Jurgen Klopp is keen to make a move for the talented footballer, ready to make an offer as early as in January. German tactician is well familiar with Pulisic’s talents and he believes that young American could go on to become a future giant at Anfield.

The player himself appears to be eager to work with the charismatic Liverpool boss, but Borussia Dortmund are his top priority for now as Christian Pulisic relishes the opportunity to further strut his stuff in front of the eagerly anticipating eyes of Europe.

With entire Europe in the palm of his hand, what steps should Pulisic take in order to achieve his full potential?