The 25 most valuable Americans in soccer revealed

Tom Weber

• 12 Nov 2025 15:30 CST
• 10 min read

Analysis

Soccer in the United States has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years.

The transformation of Major League Soccer from a much-joked-about 'retirement league' into one that consistently produces high-level domestic talent has been impressive.

Although there are still hurdles at the youth level, especially for players from low-income families, clubs are doing a much better job of tapping into the huge potential that exists in America.

This development has seen the United States increasingly produce players who are capable of competing at a good European level, although World Cup success for the USMNT still seems a long way away.

The game in the US is still growing, and as such, there has yet to be an American who can truly compete with the best players in the world for a prolonged period of time.

In recent years, Christian Pulisic has been 'Captain America,' but even his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) pales in comparison to the likes of Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

ETV is a market-leading transfer valuation algorithm designed and developed by Dutch data company SciSports, in partnership with FootballTransfers.

A player’s ETV is calculated by a variety of factors, namely: player age, player position, player performance, player experience, league strength and contract situation.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the top 25 most valuable Americans in soccer.

25. Benjamin Cremaschi (Parma) - €7.9m

Former Inter Miami youngster Benjamin Cremaschi is the 25th most valuable American with an ETV of €7.9 million.

The versatile USMNT midfielder, who was also eligible to suit up for Italy and Argentina, currently plays for Parma and surprisingly won the Golden Boot at the recent U20 World Cup.

24. Patrick Agyemang (Derby County) - €8.4m

Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang is next up on the list with an ETV of €8.4m.

When fit, Agyemang has been a reliable forward for the USMNT. He joined Championship side Derby County for €6.9m in the summer of 2025 after starring for Charlotte FC in MLS.

23. Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake) - €9.7m

Diego Luna has been one of the biggest revelations in MLS in recent years and clocks in at €9.7m.

The tricky winger, whose eccentric style makes him difficult to miss on the pitch, had to make his way to MLS via USL Championship side El Paso, and has been one of the most exciting players in the league at Real Salt Lake.

22. Paxten Aaronson (Colorado Rapids) - €9.8m

Paxten Aaronson sits 22nd with an ETV of €9.8m after returning to MLS in the summer of 2025.

Aaron had joined Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt from the Philadelphia Union for €4.7m in 2023 but struggled in Europe. The Colorado Rapids brought him back to MLS for a sizeable €7m to replace Djordje Mihailovic.

21. Haji Wright (Coventry City) - €10.2m

Coventry City forward Haji Wright boasts an ETV of €10.2m, which places him 21st in this list.

After stints in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Turkey, Wright has found a home at Coventry, where he has been one of the most underrated strikers in English football.

20. Noahkai Banks (Augsburg) - €10.5m

Noahkai Banks is not yet a name that will be familiar to many casual USMNT fans, but he is already among the 20 most valuable Americans.

The teenager has yet to make his senior debut for the national team, but he boasts an ETV of €10.5m as he is one of the most highly-rated prospects at Bundesliga side Augsburg. Serie A giants Roma have been courting him for some time.

19. Gio Reyna (Borussia Monchengladbach) - €10.7m

Giovanni Reyna has been the problem child of US Soccer for the past few years, but he is still among the most valuable players in the USMNT pool.

His ETV of €10.7m is good enough for 19th despite the fact that injuries and a lack of form have continuously plagued him. In the summer, he left Borussia Dortmund for Borussia Monchengladbach for just €4m.

18. Caleb Wiley (Chelsea/Watford) - €11.2m

Chelsea left-back Caleb Wiley occupies 18th with an ETV of €11.2m.

One of the most exciting full-back prospects in recent MLS history, Wiley broke through at Atlanta United before his €10m move to Chelsea in summer 2024. He is currently on loan at Championship side Watford.

17. Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon) - €12.7m

Tanner Tessmann, who opted to play soccer over American football, is the 17th most valuable American.

The FC Dallas homegrown currently plays for Olympique Lyon in France after a stint at American-owned FC Venezia in Italy. He is looking to nail down a regular USMNT spot after only playing a handful of games since his debut in 2021.

16. Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach) - €13.1m

Another Gladbach player like Gio Reyna, Joe Scally boasts an ETV of €13.1m.

A New York City FC academy graduate, the full-back has had an up-and-down time in Germany, but he has mostly been reliable for Gladbach in the Bundesliga.

15. Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic) - €14.8m

English-born Cameron Carter-Vickers is 15th with an ETV of €14.8m and currently plays for Celtic.

The defender came through the Tottenham academy but did not manage to establish himself in North London. After several loans, he joined Celtic permanently in 2022. He has been in the USMNT pool for almost a decade but has never been a regular, with injuries disrupting his career.

14. Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) - €15.8m

Crystal Palace star Chris Richards has seen his ETV massively improve since heading to England and currently sits at €15.8m.

Another product of FC Dallas' famous academy, the centre-back joined German giants Bayern Munich at a young age. He failed to make it in the first team and joined Palace in 2022, where he is now a crucial part of a well-oiled machine.

13. Weston McKennie (Juventus) - €15.9m

Once the great hope of American soccer, Weston McKennie is now only the 13th most valuable player in the USMNT pool.

The versatile midfielder only has an ETV of €15.9m as his Juventus contract is up at the end of the European season, and he is expected to leave the club. MLS clubs are very interested in the Dallas homegrown, who previously played for Schalke and Leeds.

12. Timothy Weah (Juventus/Olympique Marseille) - €16.8m

Another former wonderkid, Timothy Weah has gone on to forge a solid but not great European career and has an ETV of €16.8m currently.

The son of Ballon d'Or winner George Weah and formerly part of the New York Red Bulls academy, Tim is currently doing well on loan at Marseille after stints at PSG, Celtic, Lille and Juventus.

11. Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United) - €17.4m

Brenden Aaronson is enjoying something of a revival at Leeds and is the 11th most valuable American at present.

A €32.8m signing from Red Bull Salzburg under Jesse Marsh in 2022, Aaronson was regarded as a massive flop by Leeds fans as he was deemed too lightweight to handle English football. However, after a loan at Union Berlin, he was given a second chance.

10. Ricardo Pepi (PSV) - €18.3m

PSV striker Ricardo Pepi has an ETV of €18.3m, making him the first player to crack the top 10.

Another Dallas homegrown, Pepi initially struggled in Europe during his stint at Bundesliga club Augsburg, but the striker is loving life in the Netherlands after being snapped up by PSV boss Earnie Stewart following a successful loan at Groningen.

9. Sergino Dest (PSV) - €19.5m

Another PSV player, Sergino Dest edges Pepi to ninth place in the list of most valuable Americans.

The Dutch-born full-back has had to find out the hard way that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. After unsuccessful stints at Barcelona and Milan, the Ajax graduate returned to the Netherlands with PSV in 2023.

8. Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco) - €20.3m

Former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is eighth with an ETV of €20.3m.

Balogun represented both England and the US at the youth level, but the New York-born forward ultimately opted for the USMNT. He joined Monaco for a whopping €30m in 2023 after Arsenal refused to give him first-team guarantees.

7. Josh Sargent (Norwich City) - €22.6m

Josh Sargent will have plenty of regrets when he looks back at the year 2025, but he is still one of the most valuable Americans in football.

Despite summer interest, the €22.6m-rated striker opted to stay at Championship side Norwich City after three successful goalscoring seasons, but he has been starved of service in 2025/26 as the Canaries have been sucked into a relegation battle.

6. Yunus Musah (AC Milan/Atalanta) - €24.1m

Midfielder Yunus Musah currently has an ETV of €24.1m, putting him sixth in this list.

Like Sarget, the former Arsenal prospect has endured a weird 2025. Forced out by AC Milan, he initially looked set to join Napoli before the deal collapsed, and he was loaned to Atalanta instead. Because of this, he even lost his USMNT place.

5. Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) - €25.6m

Bournemouth star Tyler Adams is the fifth most valuable American in football with an ETV of €25.6m.

The New York Red Bulls homegrown has established himself as a good Premier League midfielder at the Cherries after previously impressing at RB Leipzig. He also had a brief stint at Leeds.

4. Johnny Cardoso (Atletico Madrid) - €26.3m

Another midfielder, Atletico Madrid man Johnny Cardoso is currently fourth with an ETV of €26.3m.

The New Jersey-native, who was developed by Brazilian club Internacional, joined Atleti in the summer of 2025 after starring for Real Betis. Bizarrely, Tottenham received a part of his €24m fee after securing a sell-on clause and the right of first refusal on him when they sold Giovani Lo Celso to Betis.

3. Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen) - €40.1m

Bayer Leverkusen winger Malik Tillman is the third most valuable American after seeing his ETV skyrocket to €40.1m.

After a couple of successful seasons at PSV, the German-born American returned to the Bundesliga for €35m to nominally replace Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen. Tillman came through the Bayern Munich academy. His older brother Timothy has also been capped by the USMNT.

2. Antonee Robinson (Fulham) - €40.9m

Despite a difficult 2025, Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson is the second most valuable American with an ETV of €40.9m.

Robinson has been plagued by injuries in the calendar year 2025, but he is still one of the best players in the USMNT pool after establishing himself as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League.

1. Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) - €46m

'Captain America' Christian Pulis is unsurprisingly the most valuable American in soccer with an ETV of €46m.

The USMNT captain has bounced back in Italy with AC Milan after a few difficult years at Chelsea, which saw his ETV plummet from a peak €74.1m to as low as €38.7m. When fit, Pulisic has been outstanding this season.

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