Chelsea and AC Milan have agreed to terms on the transfer of U.S. men's national team star Christian Pulisic, and in a matter of days, he's expected to officially join the Serie A giants. After the USMNT star agreed to join the club, the Blues and Rossoneri moved quickly to reach an agreement. According to CBS Sports soccer insider Fabrizio Romano, it will be for €20 million with add-ons.
Pulisic is still one of the most talented USMNT players as things stand, despite having some ups and downs in the past, especially due to the fact that Chelsea went through several tactical and managerial changes. For sure, Pulisic didn't show his best skills in the past year, but not many did at Chelsea, considering the difficult and unstable situation. For this reason, changing the club this summer is the best choice for the player, who is seeking a place where he could get back at the level he is used to.
After the arrival of coach Mauricio Pochettino, many players at Chelsea had to make a move, not specifically because they couldn't stay or play, but due to the incredible number of players registered on the roster. This was the case of Pulisic this summer. He could stay, but he probably couldn't play as much as he wanted or be central in the project as much as he deserved.
Pulisic arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2019 for around €65 million, becoming one of the most expensive transfers in the history of the sport and the most expensive American player. His spell at Chelsea was successful as he scored 26 goals in 145 games in all competitions and also won the UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Supercup and one FIFA Club World Cup. However, it's now probably the right time for him for a new experience in a new league like the Italian Serie A after being used to little last campaign. He played just 821 Premier League minutes.
AC Milan are coming of a strange season though as the Rossoneri ended up fourth in the league after winning the 2021-22 Scudetto. They lost to city rivals Inter in the UEFA Champions League semifinals and didn't have the season they expected. It was a positive season overall but not as exciting as the one before that crowned Stefano Pioli's side as the Serie A champions. On top of that, the Italian club are going through some big summer changes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from the sport, the club sold key player Sandro Tonali to Newcastle for over €70 million and the legend of the club and director Paolo Maldini left AC Milan as well.
The current owners, American private investment firm RedBird Capital, took over the deciding roles with the founder of the firm Gerry Cardinale handling the club right now. The new CEO of the club, Giorgio Furlani, is the one taking care of the transfer business alongside the head of scouting, Geoffrey Moncada. This new formation of the club is creating some uncertainty among the fans, especially after the sale of a player like Tonali, who was always seen as a potential icon of the club for the coming years.
Pioli's side play a 4-2-3-1 but the Italian coach is now considering switching to the 4-3-3, especially after the last signing of Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea. Towards the end of last season, Pioli opted to play Ismael Bennacer as a No. 10 behind the striker, with more defensive instructions, while Tonali and Rade Krunic were playing as central midfielders. With Tonali out, we will likely see Bennacer back as a central midfielder. Also, Brahim Diaz went back to Real Madrid, leaving the role of number ten covered by only Charles De Ketelaere as of now, who struggled a lot in his first season in Italy.
Waiting to know who will arrive to cover these gaps (another midfielder, a winger and a striker for sure), it's clear that Pulisic can play in different positions with AC Milan. His natural role of left winger, however, is currently taken by the best player on the roster, Rafael Leao. Pulisic can also play as a right attacking winger or if needed as a number ten.
For sure, Pulisic can guarantee AC Milan more solutions and can play in multiple positions. It will probably be difficult to see him as a number ten in the short term, considering how difficult it is to play that role in Italy. Pulisic can be the top replacement for Leao or also play with him on the other side of the attack. AC Milan struggled a lot when Leao was not playing or was not at his best, and Pulisic offers them some cover while potentially having a shot at making a big impact elsewhere on the pitch.
