Chelsea are on the verge of completing a swoop for Arsenal target Christian Pulisic after agreeing to a £45 million fee with Borussia Dortmund.
According to Bild, Chelsea have outwitted league rivals Arsenal in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic. The German publication claims that the Blues have agreed to a £45 million deal for the American superstar, who was also linked with the Gunners, earlier this campaign.
Pulisic is expected to move to Stamford Bridge in January, having been on the end of major transfer speculation throughout the past 12 months or so. However, the Gunners will be disappointed to have missed out on his services as they continue to search for a quality attacker, who can provide more options to Unai Emery upfront.
Indeed, the North London giants have lacked the services of a reliable winger and are yet to find a proper replacement for Alexis Sanchez, who left the club earlier this year. Therefore, Pulisic could have been an excellent choice.
Maurizio Sarri, on the other hand, will be delighted to have secured the services of this highly talented forward, who is touted as the future of American football.
As for Pulisic, himself, a move to Premier League will present him with the opportunity to prove his worth, especially after failing to make a breakthrough into the starting lineup under Lucien Favre this season. As a matter of fact, the American international has made only five starts in the league so far and has been involved in just three goals in 11 outings.
But, his sheer pace and acceleration on the flanks combined with his quick feet will surely add more dynamism to the Chelsea attack. Additionally, Pulisic also likes to take on defenders, having averaged 3.5 dribbles per game – around one less than Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard.
Speaking of Hazard, he has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, with Real Madrid still interested in his services. Pulisic, in that regard, will be an ideal long-term replacement for the Belgian international and the fact that he likes to take on defenders in the final third as well as providing dangerous crosses from byline – makes him stylistically similar to Hazard, to an extent.
Most importantly, however, Chelsea are in dire need of attacking reinforcements and with ageing wingers like Willian and Pedro, some youthful exuberance is paramount for Sarri’s men and Pulisic will certainly be able to provide that.
But on the other hand, it’s also fair to mention that the Hershey native has had an awful campaign so far, often failing to maintain consistency. He has struggled against high pressing opposition, lacking composure as well as work ethic, which raises doubts over his credibility of performing in the fast-paced Premier League.
Furthermore, Pulisic’s finishing has been horrendous, which is clearly reflected in his timid scoring record this campaign and most of all, he has been dispossessed almost five times per 90 minutes – making him no less than a gamble for Chelsea.
