Chelsea and Liverpool have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Christian Pulisic, who has only 18 months left on his contract with Borussia Dortmund.
As per a report from the Daily Mirror, Chelsea and Liverpool have received a boost in their chase for Borussia Dortmund and USMNT superstar Christian Pulisic, as Bayern Munich have decided to drop out of the race to sign the 20-year-old.
Pulisic has been heralded as one of the finest young prospects in the game since he burst onto the scenes a couple of years ago at Dortmund. Having been a regular in the first-team for the past two seasons, the winger has lost his place in the team this term to Jadon Sancho and Jacob Bruun Larsen under new boss Lucien Favre.
Over the course of this season, Pulisic has grown frustrated at the lack of playing time coming his way, and has decided not to sign a new contract with the German league leaders. And, with just 18 months left on his current deal, it emerged that Dortmund were ready to cash in on him in January.
This development sparked interest from a plethora of clubs across Europe, that also included Dortmund’s chief rivals Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giants are looking to replace Arjen Robben, who will be leaving at the end of the season, and had identified Pulisic as a primary target to take over from the Dutchman.
However, Die Roten are believed to have called off the pursuit of the 20-year-old and have instead set their sights on Bayer Leverkusen’s teenage sensation Kai Havertz, opening up a window for Premier League giants Chelsea and Liverpool to swoop in for Pulisic.
Chelsea have been chasing the United States international for quite some time now, as manager Maurizio Sarri seeks to strengthen his options in the wide areas. Both Willian and Pedro are into their thirties and have blown hot and cold this season, while Eden Hazard continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Promising academy product Callum Hudson-Odoi too, has been linked with a move away from the club in recent weeks, prompting the Blues to intensify their pursuit of the 20-year-old Pulisic.
However, the Blues will have to battle it out with Premier League leaders Liverpool for the Dortmund starlet’s signing. The Reds have been monitoring the player’s situation for a while now, with manager Jurgen Klopp being a huge admirer of the player’s abilities.
While Liverpool are well stacked in the attacking department, Klopp recognizes the need of improving the quality in depth in his squad, if they are to compete for multiple honours and establish themselves as serious contenders for the UEFA Champions League year in year out. To that end, Pulisic has emerged as a viable target for the Merseyside outfit.
Pulisic’s contract with Dortmund runs out in the summer of 2020 and the Bundesliga leaders are open to selling him in the upcoming transfer window, provided they receive an offer in the range of £70 million.
With Bayern Munich withdrawing their interest in Pulisic, Chelsea and Liverpool are left with a clear shot at signing him. But, it remains to be seen who comes out on top in the chase for the supremely talented USMNT international.
