Christian Pulisic began the most important season of his young career on the bench. He only briefly got off it this past Sunday in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham, and so, with the World Cup three months away and the transfer window still open, rumors of a potential move away from Stamford Bridge picked up.
Newcastle United is reportedly interested in the US star. Juventus, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid have been linked with Pulisic as well.
And now, so too has Manchester United.
Andy Mitten, an experienced journalist who’s been covering United since he was 15, reported Wednesday that the Red Devils are “considering taking” Pulisic on loan.
Among the clubs reportedly interested, Mitten reported that Pulisic “would prefer Manchester United.”
Pulisic has never publicly expressed a desire to leave Chelsea this summer, but multiple reports have suggested he is increasingly frustrated with sparse playing time and open to a move.
At the beginning of the summer, speaking at a US men’s national team camp, Pulisic hinted at that frustration. “I mean, of course I want to get more playing time,” he said. “I want to be on the field as much as I can, and be the absolute sharpest I can be, and fit as well.”
A month later, the competition for playing time intensified. Chelsea signed Raheem Sterling from Manchester City. Pulisic’s place on manager Thomas Tuchel’s depth chart became clear. He fought for his place throughout preseason, but The Guardian reported last week that Tuchel “does not trust Pulisic.”
Reports out of England increasingly suggest that Chelsea would be willing to let Pulisic leave — at least on loan. He has two seasons left on his contract.
It’s unclear, though, how strong the interest from Man United, Newcastle, Juventus or others really is. It also remains unclear whether Pulisic would rather join Newcastle, a mid-table club that isn’t qualified for European competitions, or stay at Chelsea and try to play his way onto the field.
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter, speaking last week in Minneapolis ahead of the MLS All-Star game, was asked whether he was concerned about Pulisic’s situation.
“He’s a fighter. You’re gonna see, he’s gonna get on the field,” Berhalter said. “I mean, every year, it’s, ‘he may not be a starter.’ Every year, you hear that. And every year, he ends up on the field, because of his contribution. He’s a goalscorer. He’s a winner.
“What I’ve seen from him in the last couple of years is that his mentality has completely shifted, and he embraces stuff like this. He’s not afraid of challenges like this. And I’m excited to see how he performs this year.”