Weston McKennie first, Christian Pulisic second & Josh Sargent at 48! USMNT Player Performance Index draws astonished response from Alexi Lalas as 16-goal Norwich striker only scrapes into top 50

Juventus midfielder McKennie leads the way, when it comes to the ESPN chart, with AC Milan forward Pulisic following closely behind. The top five is completed by Fulham’s bucaneering full-back Antonee Robinson, PSV loanee Sergino Dest and his fellow Eredivisie title winner Malik Tillman.

Folarin Balogun occupies ninth spot, after finding the going tough during his debut campaign at Monaco, while the only non-European based players on the list are Alejandro Zendejas and Brandon Vazquez – who play their trade in Liga MX for Club America and Monterrey respectively.

Haji Wright only makes it as far as 28, despite an impressive season at FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry, while Sargent sits 48th after registering a personal-best 16 goals and helping Norwich into the Championship play-offs. Former USMNT star Lalas has responded to those rankings by telling his State of the Union podcast: “Josh Sargent is what? I’m okay in terms of the first two. I think whatever calculations they are using, it came out with two appropriate choices in Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic. I can certainly argue Christian Pulisic, and I think they are interchangeable in one and two. Before I looked at the list, I had Christian Pulisic at one and Weston McKennie at two, but I’m good either way. I think everybody can agree that they have both had stellar seasons and are worthy of that one spot. Antonee Robinson? He just keeps on going and has been good for a long time – and maybe even suffers because of his continuity. Sergino Dest at four, okay. Then Tillman… Then you are getting into Chris Richards, Zendejas and Balogun at number nine. The thing about Josh Sargent, before I saw this list, if you were to ask me where Josh Sargent was, there is not a chance in hell that I would say he was not in the top 10. I would have Josh Sargent much, much higher.”

Sargent is paying the price for not turning out in the top tier of English football, and for suffering an early-season injury. There is every chance that he will be back in the Premier League next season, either after helping Norwich to promotion or when completing a big-money transfer elsewhere.