Antonee Robinson is a man going places in a hurry, with there every reason to believe that he will be the next USMNT ace to secure a high-profile transfer.
Antonee Robinson the next USMNT star destined for a big transfer?
The American soccer bubble that has been on the rise for some time is showing no sign of bursting and crashing back down to earth. If anything, the next few years should see it soar even higher. The countdown is very much on to the 2026 World Cup, with the United States set to take on co-hosting duties alongside neighbors Canada and Mexico when FIFA’s flagship event spreads its wings outside of Europe once more. It was that tournament, back in 1994, that helped to kick-start a soccer revolution in the USA. That cause has subsequently been aided by the likes of David Beckham, Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Attention
Home-grown talent has also come to the fore, in MLS and beyond, with their USMNT stars to be found in leading divisions across the globe. Their exploits, at home and abroad, are garnering greater interest and enticing an entirely new audience to the game.
Where there was once a three-way battle between the NFL, NBA, and MLB for audience figures, with the NHL occasionally thrown in for good measure, there is now a different brand of ‘football’ barging its way onto the scene.
American sports fans are lapping up the action, with impressive progress being made. Attendance figures are through the roof, while modern technology allows the exploits of those in Europe, Asia, and Australia to be monitored closely without ever leaving the comforts of a geographical home.
Markets
There is also the virtual realm to be taken into account, with fantasy games, video games, and gambling markets ensuring that as much attention is sourced off the field as on it. The US lagged behind other countries when it came to betting for many years, but that has rapidly changed over the last five years, and it is now one of the biggest markets in the world.
The legislation legalizing online sports betting has opened more doors, with 33 states already on that bandwagon while two more are preparing to jump aboard. Sportsbooks covering a wide range of markets – both live and online – are available to punters from New Mexico to New York.
Fans are in a position to support the endeavors of fellow countrymen from afar, whether that be turning out in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, or MLS, with household names from the USMNT ranks to be found at the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, and Lille.
There are also a couple on the books at Fulham, and one of those could soon be attracting even more attention. Antonee Robinson – who is fondly known as ‘Jedi’ to his friends – is a man going places in a hurry, with there every reason to believe that he will be the next USMNT ace to secure a high-profile transfer. He has come close to achieving that feat before, with Serie A giants AC Milan once expressing interest only to eventually be put off by medical concerns.
Scenic
Robinson has grown accustomed to taking the scenic route in his career though, from failing to make the grade at Everton before taking in Championship stints with Bolton, Wigan, and Fulham and finally establishing himself as a Premier League star and key man for his adopted country – as a Milton Keynes native with a father who is an American citizen.
Manchester City is the latest big-hitters said to be mulling over a move for Robinson. A freshening up of collective ranks at the Etihad Stadium is expected to take place in upcoming windows, meaning that Pep Guardiola and Co. could launch a raid on Craven Cottage for a highly-rated left-back that is doing his bit to keep the aforementioned U.S. bubble heading into orbit.