Chelsea have officially completed the capture of Christian Pulisic, who has been loaned back to Borussia Dortmund for the remainder of the season.
Chelsea have stolen a march on Liverpool and Arsenal by completing the transfer of Christian Pulisic. The player will remain with Borussia Dortmund for the remainder of the 2018-19 season and will arrive at Stamford Bridge in the summer in a deal that is reportedly worth £58 million.
Rumours were rife that Chelsea had indeed agreed a deal with Dortmund over the transfer of Christian Pulisic. But, the reports iterated a figure of £45 million and it seems the Blues have had to pay a bit more than what the earlier reports entailed.
Christian Pulisic is a name that has been on the up-and-up in the footballing world since his senior debut for Dortmund. Widely regarded as the future of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), Pulisic’s rise sparked interest in his services all across Europe, with major clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all interested.
Arsenal were the latest club linked with a move for Pulisic, with Unai Emery lacking in wide options. But, the lack of adequate budget seems to have derailed their plans to pursue the Dortmund star. Liverpool were rumoured to be plotting a bid as well. But, Chelsea seem to have run away with the deal.
But, his status at Dortmund had taken a dip under new manager Lucien Favre, who has preferred the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus and Jacob Bruun Larsen over the United States international.
With the deal now confirmed, Pulisic highlighted his elation at the prospect of joining a club of Chelsea’s stature in the summer.
“In summer I move on to Chelsea and to a new competition, the English Premier League. It’s a privilege to have signed for such a legendary club and I look forward to working hard towards being a contributor to their team of world class players.”
Indeed, Christian Pulisic possesses the ability to play on either flank and could form an extremely threatening duo with Eden Hazard on the other side. This will also quench Maurizio Sarri’s thirst for a winger to be added to the squad, as he recently claimed to be his priority in the transfer market.
But, there are also apprehensions that the Pulisic deal is based on the uncertainty surrounding Eden Hazard’s future. The players are alike in playing style. With Eden Hazard being continuously linked with Real Madrid and not committing to a new deal at Chelsea, the Blues could have just ensured they are not left desperate, should Hazard does decide to leave in the summer.
Regardless of the purpose, Christian Pulisic is an amazing talent and the duo of Eden Hazard and Pulisic is a gripping prospect for Chelsea fans. The fee might be a bit towards the upper echelon, but the club expects to offset a part of it through the sale of Callum Hudson-Odoi.
