Sensible Transfers USMNT Edition: Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic’s future is up in the air… again. It seems like every 6 months when a new transfer window rolls around Pulisic’s name is one of the first on Chelsea’s squad to get thrown to the transfer wolves. This window seems a bit different to the previous ones that saw the American stay in London Blue.
For one, his position at Chelsea is becoming increasingly untenable with each day that passes. Whether it’s Timo Werner finding form with his national team, or Raheem Sterling making a return to London, these scenarios squeeze the potential playing time Christian Pulisic may see next season.
Let’s discuss Pulisic’s options this summer as the 2022 Qatar winter World Cup looms in the distance with an ever-growing shadow.
Christian Pulisic Stays at Chelsea
Pulisic could very easily stay at Chelsea this summer. The player seems to be quiet off the pitch and hasn’t made a peep about wanting to leave his club in London. Fans and journalists may pick his name on the squad to be the first to go, that option hasn’t necessarily been agreed to by Thomas Tuchel or the new ownership group.
If Christian Pulisic were to stay at Chelsea for next season, he would be competing against Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, and likely Raheem Sterling for playing time. Chelsea will be playing in the Champions League in the 22/23 season, so they will need to keep their depth options open.
As long as Tuchel rates Pulisic as a fringe starter and first-off-the-bench option, that may actually be Pulisic’s best bet to come into the 2022 World Cup fresh and in-form. USMNT fans may not love to hear it, but Pulisic may be better off being a squad player for his club to keep him fresh for national team duty.
Christian Pulisic Transfers to Liverpool
This move to Liverpool is the most discussed rumor for Christian Pulisic. It makes sense when rationally viewed - from the coach Jurgen Klopp being the one that brought Pulisic up to the senior squad at Dortmund, or their need to replace a recently transferred Sadio Mane.
Mane was reaching the peak of his production and Liverpool sold him for a fair fee to Bayern Munich. Pulisic knows the coach, fits a position of need, and understands the physical and mental requirements to play in the Premier League. Liverpool are one of the few teams that could accommodate his large wages without the player needing to take a pay cut.
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Christian Pulisic Transfers to Everton
This is another one of those rational views, from an irrational perspective. Everton are another club that could keep Pulisic on his current wages, while providing him a different role than Liverpool or Chelsea. At Everton, Christian Pulisic would be the most important player on the pitch and be asked to produce at a rate he hasn’t done consistently in the Premier League before.
Frank Lampard would be waiting with open arms to accept Christian Pulisic at Everton. The former Chelsea manager included Pulisic in his first XI at Chelsea and was the manager that pronounce Pulisic as the new #10. If Richarlison leaves Everton this window, look for this transfer connection to heat up over time.
Christian Pulisic Transfers to Juventus
Christian Pulisic has played and I would argue flourished in the German Bundesliga where transitional play is king. In the Premier League where endurance and physical attributes are a large factor in consistent success, Pulisic could do well to transfer to a different league where his attributes can best be exploited.
Juventus are coming off a down year where they barely qualified in the 4th place of Serie A - good enough for the last Champions League spot. They’ll need to bolster an aging roster, and replace a productive winger in Dejan Kulusevski who went to Tottenham last winter. Pulisic could also begin playing club soccer with his USMNT teammate Weston McKennie which would be great for building additional chemistry into the World Cup.
Christian Pulisic Transfers to Roma
This is one that seems a little wacky at first but stick with me. Roma under Mourinho played in a 3-4-2-1. This formation is a similar system to what Chelsea play under Tuchel, except Roma have a manager that likes to play in transition more than possession.
If Pulisic were to transfer to Roma we would see a Reunion with Tammy Abraham who seemed to have genuine chemistry when they played at Chelsea together. Tammy Abraham has had a renaissance this past season while reinventing himself in Serie A.
Roma are also in a rebuilding phase, and could look to take a chance on a still-very-young winger who’s best years are ahead of him.
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