Chelsea transfer news: The latest on Christian Pulisic as he prepares for a big summer with AC Milan in the driving seat to sign the USMNT star.
Christian Pulisic looks set to leave Chelsea this summer.
The 24 year-old has struggled to make a consistent mark during his time at Stamford Bridge since signing from Borussia Dortmund for around £58 million in 2019. It has not been easy for Pulisic in terms of having to deal with injuries and a revolving cast of managers and team-mates at Stamford Bridge.
His time at the Blues looks to have fizzled out in a whimper having been afforded just 33 minutes of Premier League game-time in the last seven matches of the 2022/23 season. Contrasted to the 179 minutes he played over two games for the United States of America last month, it illustrates just how bleak things have got for Pulisic.
Here, we look at the latest transfer talk around Pulisic's future...
Pulisic is said to have agreed terms with AC Milan ahead of a proposed move to San Siro. Although no fee has yet been finalised between the two clubs, with a gap still between the two valuations of the player.
Chelsea are said to be asking for £21.4million ($27.3m), but Milan only wishing to pay less than £15million ($19m).
Newcastle buying Sandro Tonali could hand Chelsea an advantage when it comes to securing a deal for Pulisic this summer. The 23-year-old has agreed a big-money move to join Eddie Howe's side from Milan and it has handed the Italian side a hefty financial package.
With Chelsea looking to do business with Milan, they will be hoping to eek out some extra pennies from the freshly acquired Tonali money.
Puma, Pulisic's boot sponsor, are considering stepping in to help the winger seal a move away from Chelsea to AC Milan, according to Gazzetta.
The sportswear are Milan's technical sponsor and the report from Italy claims they could play a part in the details of the move.
Milan do not want to pay more than £17mi for Pulisic this summer. That's according to the Evening Standard, who claim the Italian side want to bring the American to the San Siro after closing in on Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
USMNT coach message
Incoming USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has suggested a move to Italy would be a good move for Christian Pulisic this summer.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, he said: “Christian plays for Chelsea but Italy and Milan are still very attractive destinations, not least because of the possibility of playing in the Champions League.
"But no advice, these are personal choices."
Chelsea have slapped a £25m price tag on Pulisic after the number of potential buyers increased.
French club Lyon have joined the likes of AC Milan, Juventus and Newcastle in the battle for the USMNT winger. However, according to the Evening Standard, the new asking price has put clubs off.
The report does, however, state that Chelsea could soften their demand as the window goes on.
Newcastle's pursuit of Pulisic looks to have taken a huge blow this summer with the Magpies set to complete the £60m signing of AC Milan and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali.
The 23-year-old is expected to sign a six-year contract on Tyneside. The big-money deal will take a chunk of Eddie Howe's transfer budget away, meaning a permanent move for Pulisic may be difficult.
Pulisic has admitted that he isn't getting enough out of club football at the moment and has all-but-admitted that he is looking for a move.
“It’s absolutely a time where I need to figure out what’s going to be best for my future and be somewhere where I can go and play and be trusted and feel good in what I’m doing,” he said while away with USMNT.
“I want to find that joy at club level again, for sure.”
Chelsea have dropped a hint that Pulisic will not be travelling with the club on their USA pre-season tour next month. The club have five scheduled fixtures for their time in the States and have promoted it on social media.
In a post including the images of Mauricio Pochettino, Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Enzo Fernandez, Pulisic was noticeably left off the graphic. Given he is a major commercial and marketing asset for the club, his lack of inclusion in such a post hints that they club are far from confident of his involvement throughout the tour.
French side Lyon have emerged as surprise contenders to sign Pulisic this summer, according to L'Equipe. The Ligue 1 outfit are said to be keen on making a statement signing of an American during this window and have reportedly identified Pulisic as their priority.
It is said talks have taken place between the two parties and that it could also lead to even more shock interest from Crystal Palace. Eagles Football Holdings are the controlling owners of Lyon and have a large stake in Palace, too. Under American businessman John Textor it is said that the London side could make a swoop in for the 24-year-old winger.
Milan, who finished fourth in Serie A and made the semi-finals of the Champions League, are looking to beef up their squad this summer. Pulisic is certainly an option, but there could be competition for the player from Milan's rivals Napoli and Juventus.
Speaking at a press conference while on international duty with the USMNT this month, Pulisic discussed his time at Chelsea and what the summer may hold. "It's been a tough season for me personally and for our team at club level," he said.
Hinting at a potential exit, he added: "I thought it was a great couple years and the last couple years just haven't gone at all how I've planned them to be. This summer, we're obviously going to have to see what happens."
Pulisic is one of few players who could be sold by Chelsea for a relatively large fee with the CIES Football Observatory estimating his value to be around $44 million (£34.9m), though his club are said to be looking for less. Come the end of the month, Pulisic will be into the final year of the contract he signed with Chelsea back in 2019.
His value is dwindling and it is up to Chelsea to either try and make sure he becomes a key part of the club's plans going forward or try to sell him. As early as January, Pulisic can negotiate with a club abroad over a free transfer that would become official in a year's time.
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