UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
Christian Pulisic will be United States’ biggest star at the World Cup in Qatar, but his sight must be firmly on proving himself on the biggest stage to continue his career at Chelsea.
The 24-year-old has been at Stamford Bridge for the past three years since the big-money move from Borussia Dortmund. Even though, on paper, he already accomplished more with the London club than he did with Dortmund in the same period. At least when it comes to stats. He spent three years at Borussia before being sold to Chelsea.
With Dortmund, he managed to earn 127 appearances scoring 19 goals and dishing out 26 assists. In three years he is currently at Chelsea, he played in 133 matches scoring 26 times while also assisting on 21 occasions. However, this season has been a struggle for Hershey, a Pennsylvania native who only appeared in 13 games scoring a goal and grabbing an assist. He played in only 33 percent of all the minutes Chelsea spent on the field, which is not good enough for the best player the United States has in its fold.
Former United States teammates Clint Dempsey and Kasey Keller agree that Pulisic has a problem and that he might want to consider moving away from the London club to progress his career.
“I remember when we failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018. We were so close, and Pulisic was the reason why we even had the chance to advance. We were almost there, and without him, there wouldn’t be even a chance, he is incredibly important to our end game at the biggest tournaments,” said Dempsey.
Pulisic needs to make a move
Kasey Keller on the other hand says that Pulisic might be better off playing somewhere else.
“Part of the problem Christian Pulisic has at Chelsea is injuries. He was just getting a chance to get himself in shape, to establish a presence in the Chelsea lineup, and suddenly he gets injured again. He needs playing time, and if he doesn’t get it, he might consider taking a pay cut and moving somewhere where he can play regularly.”
The biggest danger for Pulisic at Chelsea right now is the constant rumors that Chelsea is looking to replace him. The January transfer window is getting closer and Chelsea is firmly considering bidding for Leon Bailey and Christopher Nkunku.
Leon Bailey has been a long-term target for Chelsea, a 25-year old winger that currently plays for Aston Villa. However, getting into the Nkunku sweepstakes could be a harder mission to win for Chelsea. The French international will miss the World Cup after getting injured, last season he was voted the best player in Bundesliga, and this season he continued his superb form.
There are a host of top clubs around Europe who are willing to pay big money to bring him in and Chelsea is certainly one of those clubs. If that transfer does occur, it would be a very difficult job for Pulisic to get any minutes shortly.
After drawing 1-1 with Wales in the opening game in Qatar, the United States face England next, and lastly Iran on November 29th.
Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!