The Rondo: Debating Americans Abroad - Can Christian Pulisic ride his hot start, does Josh Sargent need to make a move and has the real Sergino Dest finally returned?

Tom Hindle: Slim pickings, but the best is probably Pulisic. Look, this is going to be a weird season for him. Milan got markedly worse, hired a manager who doesn't really believe in scoring goals, and have now, it seems, decided that Pulisic is a No. 9. That really doesn't bode well for someone who's trying to regain favor with the USMNT fan base. This is a results-based business, and Pulisic grabbed a goal against Serie B Bari to bag a Coppa Italia win. Not exactly spellbinding stuff, but a decent start. 

Jacob Schneider: Sargent, by all accounts, has been really impressive. He's outgrown the Championship and Norwich. The player who has really stood out, though, is Dest. The fullback has been lights out for PSV in his return from injury and has been nothing short of exceptional in attacking areas for the Dutch champions. Top stuff from both players.

Alex Labidou: This one is easy. Sargent has been incredible at the start of the Championship. Yes, it might seem like empty calories, considering his well-known struggles with the national team. But there’s no disputing he’s playing at another level at the moment. Staying at Norwich won’t help his chances, but if you’re Mauricio Pochettino, you have to give him a call up to see if he can finally break his six-year goalscoring drought.

Ryan Tolmich: Definitely Dest. No knock on Sargent, who has been great, but Dest went into this season with some question marks given his injury. Those are gone as he continues to rack up goal contributions for PSV. His return to fitness is massive for club and country, especially when he’s in this kind of form.

TH: Weah didn't exactly have a blinder, but the concerning one might be Cardoso. He played just one half on Sunday, got booked, and didn't do loads in Atleti's 2-1 loss to Espanyol. Diego Simeone admitted after the game that he got his tactics wrong, too. It doesn't bode well for a guy who took a big step up.

JS: Damion Downs will need to break into the Southampton lineup regularly if he wants any shot of representing the USMNT next summer, while the likes of Weah, Yunus Musah, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Auston Trusty will need to do so, too. Meanwhile, the likes of Gio Reyna, Paxten Aaronson, Cole Campbell, and Folarin Balogun need to figure out their club situations before the close of the window.

AL: It is not encouraging to see Balogun back on the pine with another minor injury - which led him to miss Monaco’s 3-1 season-opening win against Le Havre. This is a crucial season for both him and the USMNT. As an old adage says, the best ability in sports is availability, and due to injuries and inconsistent form, Balogun has not played much for Les Rouge et Blanc. It is still early, but Monaco appear to be a team that is perfectly suited to play without the American - not something he envisioned when he joined the team in a blockbuster move just two seasons ago.  Another name to be concerned about is Brenden Aaronson. After being one of Leeds’ players of the season last year, helping them gain promotion to the Premier League, it appears that reality is hitting in the English top flight. He started on the bench for The Whites first game of the season and minutes might be hard to come by - which isn’t great considering his already loose hold on a World Cup roster spot.

RT: Too early to tell, aside from the one big one that needs a move: Reyna. We don’t have much data from this season, but we have plenty from the last few that says Reyna needs a new challenge. Here’s to him getting one before the window shuts.

TH: Outside of the (potential but very unlikely) return of Reyna? It has to be Weston McKennie. Serie A tends to be a bit of a snoozefest, but Igor Tudor is a good coach, and Juventus have a real chance of winning the thing this year. McKennie is staying, Tudor seems to like him, and he will have a role to play. 

JS: Depending on how severe Kevin Paredes' injury is, he could still have a top season for Wolfsburg. But all eyes really are on Malik Tillman in the Bundesliga. The club-record signing has a lot to live up to this year. Meanwhile, a dark horse to watch is Noahkai Banks, Augsburg's highly rated teenage defender. In Italy, it's Pulisic time. One game, one goal - expectations are now on the table.

AL: This is not a flashy pick, but how about Joe Scally? He’s become a bit of a forgotten man under Pochettino, but outside of Tillman, he’s likely guaranteed the most minutes in the German top flight by an American. He’s also one of the best fullbacks in the division. That should count for something, and hopefully, he can prove himself this season. As for Serie A, Pulisic has already gotten off to a hot start for Milan and Max Allegri is utilizing him more as a striker with Rafa Leao up top. If he maximizes his fit as a drifting forward, U.S. fans could be looking at the highest scoring output of his career.

RT: Is this the season that Yunus Musah can finally figure it all out? The USMNT will hope so as Musah still finds himself as something of a tweener. Can he add goals to his game? Can he add defensive steel? Whichever it is, he needs to strengthen his game if he’s going to be counted on as a starter.

TH: Alex Freeman, which is probably the least exciting pick of all time. He's a proper right back, and after continuing to impress for Orlando City, is playing himself right into the USMNT picture, and could be due for a step up in quality soon.

JS: Max Arfsten has been brilliant for the Columbus Crew, while Brian White at Vancouver and Freeman at Orlando have been exceptional, too. Diego Luna has stagnated in recent weeks, and hasn't quite been the blistering attacking force he has previously shown he can be.

AL: White has almost no shot of making the 2026 World Cup roster, but it won’t be because of his form in MLS. The Vancouver star keeps dropping goals after goals every game. Still, he’s almost 30 and plays an old school fox in the box forward. He’s clinical, but he’s not going to hold up play or press at the rate that his counterparts - who are playing in more competitive divisions - will do. Still, he’s easily in the conversation for the best striker in MLS right now and would have more goals if he weren’t on the Gold Cup roster.

RT: Small sample size here, but it’s been great to see Matt Turner back close to his best in these first games back with the Revolution. He’s looked strong and confident, which is vital for any goalkeeper with starting aspirations. He’s back in MLS to chase those, and off to a good start.

TH: Goodbye Musah, thanks for the memz. Not everyone can be a starter, but Musah could do with going somewhere that will guarantee him more football. He is still a player with immense potential, and in the right fit could become a very good box to box midfielder. Now, it's just a question of finding that spot. 

JS: If Campbell wants ANY chance of breaking into the U.S. squad ahead of next summer, he should be pushing for a move away from BVB. However, the big one is Sargent. He's too talented for the Championship and Norwich, and already on the outs with the USMNT after this summer. He needs a move to prove to Pochettino he can still contribute to the program. Others to watch include both Brenden and Paxten Aaronson, Griffin Yow, Arfsten, Freeman and, potentially, Musah.

AL: There are some obvious names, but for the sake of the argument, let’s go with Gianluca Busio and Gaga Slonina. It’s hard to believe, but Busio is entering his fourth season in Italy, bouncing between the top two divisions in the country with Venezia. He’s still only 23 and has loads of potential in central midfield, but desperately needs a change of scenery, whether that’s with another European club or potentially going on loan in MLS. With the goalkeeping race still wide open, all it would take is a strong season for Slonina to at least make things interesting. It’s unbelievable that he’s just 21, considering he’s been in Chelsea’s loan army for three years.

RT: Probably none. Everyone is seemingly in a decent spot, with least the allure of challenging for minutes. If there’s one, perhaps another Dortmund youngster, Campbell, who could hypothetically leap into the mix out wide if he does move somewhere that gives him good, consistent first-team soccer.