Christian Pulisic joined Chelsea with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Swapping the Signal Iduna Park for Stamford Bridge in 2020, he brought a ticket into a growing market of interest.
The then 20-year-old starlet arrived the summer that Chelsea legend Eden Hazard made way and, despite denying a passing of the torch, Pulisic took the number ten. The USMNT captain touched down in west London as someone who was very marketable and would unlock the Blues some pin money overseas, but his status was and still is, purely a bonus, not an incentive.
Pulisic, who Lionel Messi gave the stamp of approval after just a year at Chelsea, has shown glimpses of excellence, but a series of injuries have hampered his ability to fulfil the expectations that a £57.6m price tag warrants. He's a very talented individual but being the 'main man' across the Atlantic is a different kettle of fish compared to being the focal point of the USMNT.
