Manchester United are reportedly eyeing up a loan move for Chelsea and USMNT star Christian Pulisic, who will be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window.
According to ESPN, Manchester United are interested in signing Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic in a temporary move to fill the void in the attacking department after the high-profile sacking of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pulisic joined Chelsea in 2019, arriving from Borussia Dortmund for an estimated £58 million fee with a lot of hype around the American talent. He finished his debut season with a respectable tally of 11 goals and ten assists in all competitions.
However, the 24-year-old American has been unable to progress from that point on, largely due to niggling fitness issues. He has struggled to nail down a regular spot in the starting XI at Stamford Bridge, often finding himself stuck on the bench, with neither Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, nor Graham Potter fancying the winger as a starter.
While he has shown flashes of his brilliance in recent seasons and has 47 goal contributions to his name from 133 competitive appearances, it is well-documented that he has grown frustrated with the lack of game time, and with Chelsea chomping at the bit to sign even more attacking firepower come January, he could fall further down the pecking order.
This season has been no different for Pulisic, as he has started just 5 of 23 possible games for the Blues across all competitions, playing just over 600 minutes in total. As such, ESPN reports that Pulisic’s representatives are working to find a new club for the winger in January.
And, with Potter rebuilding his roster to his preference, the Blues may look to cash in on Pulisic in the near future, especially given that the USMNT international only has 18 months remaining on his Chelsea deal. Should he become available for a mid-season transfer, he will likely have no shortage of suitors.
Manchester United, for one, are planning to revisit their summer interest in the player and are open to bringing him to Old Trafford on loan in January. This comes after Cristiano Ronaldo’s extraordinary and dramatic exit left United short of attacking options.
As a consequence, the Red Devils are looking to sign a versatile forward who can play across the frontline in January and view the former Borussia Dortmund forward as the perfect fit, being a proven option with significant Premier League experience.
The Chelsea star has recently drawn attention for his World Cup exploits for the United States, as he slipped a beautiful assist for Timothy Weah’s goal in the 1-1 stalemate against Wales.
He then gave right-back Kieran Trippier nightmares with his spark and speed and was named the Man of the Match in the scoreless draw with England, which shows he can be a real difference-maker on the biggest stages.
However, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea would allow their winger to join fellow top-four rivals on loan mid-season. A permanent transfer or a loan with an obligation to buy for a sizable fee makes more sense from the Blues’ perspective.
Furthermore, Erik ten Hag’s side could face some stiff competition from the likes of league leaders Arsenal, and high-flying Newcastle, both of whom have been made aware of the USMNT international’s potential availability.
