Chelsea attacker Christian Pulisic is running out of patience at Stamford Bridge.
Pulisic, 23, joined the Blues in 2019 following a £57m move from German side Borussia Dortmund.
Despite being tipped as one of Europe’s most explosive wingers, the young USA international has struggled during his first two years in England’s top-flight.
Hampered by injuries, along with the reemergence of Callum Hudson-odoi, the 23-year-old has recently seen his name fall down Thomas Tuchel’s pecking order.
Having started just once in the Premier League so far this season, Pulisic remains out-of-favour and that has sparked speculation he could move on in the near future.
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Currently, with a contract that is set to run until 2024, Chelsea is at no risk of losing Pulisic but, according to recent reports, that hasn’t stopped the player from wanting to find a new club.
That’s according to El Nacional, who claims the Blues would allow the American to move on, so long as a club outside of the Premier League pays around £42m (€50m) for his services.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a long-time admirer of Pulisic and even tried to beat Chelsea to his signature.
However, Chelsea is not expected to allow the wide-attacker to join a direct rival and would therefore only entertain offers from outside of England.
That could pave the way for Barcelona to enter the mix, who, if they cannot afford the transfer fee, could be prepared to include Phillipe Coutinho into any potential offer.
CaughtOffside’s Verdict
It’s unclear exactly why Tuchel opts against using Pulisic as frequently as he does – but there is no denying the American’s talent and the impact he can have on games when given the chance.
Still at the age of just 23, Pulisic still has time to develop and reach the potential he was once tipped to achieve – however, it goes without saying that in order to do that, he will need to be playing more regularly than he is at Chelsea.
However, with the recent news that left-back Ben Chilwell could be out for the remainder of the season following a suspected ACL injury (Telegraph) during Tuesday night’s Champions League match, Pulisic could find himself given an unlikely opportunity.
Speaking recently to CBS Sports’ James Benge, Tuchel hinted at the possibility of using Pulisic in a wing-back position.
“For me, he can play in any positions of these (front) three,” Tuchel told CBS Sports. “He can play in the middle as a number nine, as a double striker and he can play as a half winger on the left side or right side.”
“He had fantastic matches in Dortmund as a wing-back, so he can also be an option from there if we need to be more offensive.”
?? “He has a certain quality, attitude and spirit that helps any team in the world.”
Thomas Tuchel underlines Christian Pulisic’s importance ahead of Chelsea’s #UCL match with Juventus on Tuesday.
? Watch the game on Paramount+ from 3pm ET.? pic.twitter.com/w1Y35GnyFH
— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 22, 2021
Although Chilwell’s suspected injury is majorly unfortunate, from a personal perspective, Pulisic will be hoping he can use the gap in the squad to his advantage.