Welcome to US-erie-A! Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and the USMNT takeover in Italy

It's been several years since we've seen the best version of Pulisic at club level. We've seen that version plenty of times with the USMNT but, with Chelsea, it was never on display consistently.

AC Milan, though, provide Pulisic with several things he hadn't had at Stamford Bridge for some time: confidence, stability and, most importantly, a little bit of hope.

Pulisic looks set to play a key role for Milan this season; that's why they brought him in, after all. The cynic would say that Milan see dollar signs off the field thanks to Pulisic's marketability, but the soccer minds in charge at San Siro see dollar signs on the field thanks to Pulisic's ability.

He's able to start on the left, right or centrally and already has a strong partnership with former team-mate and longtime friend Olivier Giroud. With Rafael Leao a fixture on the left, Pulisic is more likely to start as a No.10, replacing the departed Brahim Diaz, or on the right if Stefano Pioli doesn't turn to new signing Samuel Chukwueze.

For Pulisic, though, this move is key. He's joined another mega-club after falling out of favor at his previous one. The chaos at Chelsea gave him some deniability when it comes to his struggles, but he won't get the benefit of the doubt at Milan.

The Serie A giants, though, are seemingly a good home for Pulisic, who will look to help Milan return to the top of the league after winning the Scudetto two seasons ago.

The other American at Milan, Musah made the decision to finally leave struggling Valencia this summer. He spent parts of his childhood in Italy, so there won't be much of an adjustment period off the field, but on the field, there's much to learn.

Musah, despite his status as a starter with the USMNT, is still a fairly raw prospect. He's very good, as evidenced by his performances at the World Cup, but there's still plenty of refining to do.

Milan is the club tasked with that process, and they represent a team that is a step up from Valencia, but not an irresponsible one. There is a legitimate path to playing time for Musah, but it's far from guaranteed.

The club also signed Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tijjani Reijnders this summer, while Tommas Pobega and Rade Krunic join the injured Ismael Bennacer as holdovers from the club. Milan, though, will be dealing with the loss of Sandro Tonali, which is has prompted this midfield rebuild.

Musah will be one piece of that rebuild, but he could become a key piece. As a No.8, he is already a fantastic ball-progressor who can start as a right-sided midfielder in a 4-3-3. He could also play as a No.6, although his defensive instincts are still being refined.

Unlike Pulisic, Musah may not jump right into Pioli's starting XI due to the other options in the midfield, but his development will definitely be key for both Milan and the USMNT in the years to come.

Juan Cuadrado is gone, Weah is in. There's very little mystery about what that'll mean.

Weah has been brought in to replace the Colombian, who ended a fairly legendary stint with the club this summer. That means Weah will take up a role at wingback - one that isn't that unfamiliar after last season.

The American played chunks of 2022-23 as a left and right wingback at Lille, looking more than comfortable in those spots. At the USMNT level, Weah remains a winger, at least for now, but that can obviously change depending on how he develops as a defender.

It'll be an interesting year for Juventus, who aren't in Europe thanks to their point deduction last season due to a now-infamous financial scandal. The focus this season will be rebuilding and retooling as the club looks to move into a new era after last season's frustrations.

Weah can be part of that new era as the 23-year-old American steps into the league his legendary father, George, became a star in.

McKennie's future is still somewhat uncertain, and it will be right up until the transfer window shuts. That's only natural after what happened last season.

Having fallen out of the picture at Juve, McKennie was loaned to Leeds for the second half of the 2022-23 campaign. What happened at Leeds was, to put it lightly, a disaster. McKennie will be glad his time there is over.

The question is what becomes of this next era. With Juventus lacking a bit financially, is this an opportunity for him to stay and prove his worth to the club? Or, at some point before the window closes, will Juve decide to cash in on a player that doesn't seem to really be part of the club's long-term plan?

Reports say that it'll be the former, as it seems Massimiliano Allegri could use McKennie in the midfield. This will be a big chance, then, for him to prove he can stay at this level.

If he doesn't remain, though, there'll be no shortage of suitors, as Aston Villa, Roma and Borussia Dortmund have all been linked. For McKennie, the start of the season is very much a case of 'wait and see'.

If you didn't notice, there are some partnerships listed above, and that's pretty good news for the USMNT.

Musah and Pulisic both feature to be USMNT regulars on the road to 2026 and beyond, and them sharing a field at club level will only do good things for their chemistry. The same thing can be said of McKennie and Weah, two players who are close friends off the field.

Are there some slight concerns about positioning? Sure. Weah's transition to wingback could shake things up for the USMNT, as could Pulisic's move to the right or the left. However, the thing Gregg Berhalter will want most will be to see his players on the field and confident, and all four have a chance to be just that this season.

Thus far, just one USMNT player has ever lifted a Serie A title: McKennie. That goes to show that there's very little history of Americans in this league.

Legends like Alexi Lalas and Oguchi Onyewu have suited up for Serie A teams, but both spent better moments in their careers elsewhere. Michael Bradley is almost certainly the best American to have played in Serie A, having been a key player for Chievo Verona and Roma.

While the Premier League and Bundesliga have often been a welcome home for USMNT stars, Serie A, generally, has been a top league that has been avoided by American players.

That, of course, is changing. There are younger players like Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessman with Venezia in Serie B in addition to the above quartet at the league's two most decorated clubs.

Is this the start of a trend? Quite possibly. McKennie, Weah, Musah and Pulisic may not be the only Americans in Italy's top flight for much longer...

Folarin Balogun-watch is fully underway, as American soccer continued to see where the newly-committed star striker ends up. At the moment he's still at Arsenal, having returned to London following a life-altering spell at Reims, but there are still doubts over whether he remains with the Gunners.

He has no shortage of options, of course. Several Premier League teams are said to be interested, while the likes of Monaco have been linked. However, a pair of Serie A giants have also been rumored to be in the race.

Both Inter and AC Milan are among the teams that are reportedly interested in Balogun, and both certainly could use a talented young striker. Milan, for years, have relied on veterans to lead the line, while Inter are in the market for a new No.9 following the breakdown in relations with Romelu Lukaku.

Balogun isn't the only one, though. Rising star Cade Cowell is a reported target of Bologna, with that deal seeming like a real possibility. Jesus Ferreira, meanwhile, has been linked to Napoli, last season's Scudetto winners.

Could Weah, Pulisic, Musah and McKennie be just the beginning? We'll find out as more American eyes will be on Serie A than ever before.