Rumors have heated up that Christian Pulisic is coming to Chelsea. Some fans have jumped through many hoops to declare the signing a bad one beforehand.
It is looking more and more likely that Pulisic will sign with Chelsea. Reports have been heating up and it seems more likely than not at this point. Fans have opinions as they always do. But many are jumping through a lot of hoops to declare this signing a bad one or a flop before it even happens.
Pulisic is an American advanced playmaker turned winger at Borussia Dortmund. Statistically, he lines up almost exactly the same as Willian despite being a decade younger. And he has nearly 9000 career minutes spread out over four seasons at Dortmund.
Hoop one: he plays in a lesser league for a lesser team. This is the most ridiculous and the one that most needs addressing. Dortmund is very much on the same tier as Chelsea. Some Chelsea fans want to believe that Chelsea still exists at the top of the pyramid. The Blues do not. The Blues exist a level below with Dortmund. This is not an upward move for Pulisic; it is lateral. And Bundesliga clubs regularly do as well or better than English teams in all European competition. Again, lateral at worst.
Hoop two: Chelsea needs a goalscorer and Pulisic is not that. Pulisic is more of a creator as opposed to a natural goal scorer. Maurizio Sarri has not really used his right winger as a goal scorer historically though. Jose Callejon lagged behind his fellow attackers with goals and assists but that does not mean his role was not important. Pulisic would likely fill the same spot.
And as already mentioned, Pulisic is basically Willian but a decade younger. If Sarri is the coach he is reported to be, then he can quickly improve Pulisic into a much better player. Chelsea will soon see Willian and Pedro depart due to their age and it is very important to replace them with a player who can grow for the long haul.
Hoop three: Pulisic will take minutes from Callum Hudson-Odoi. This one is a half truth. Hudson-Odoi will likely lose bench and substitute minutes to Pulisic. But the future for one is on the left wing and the future for the other is on the right wing. If Hudson-Odoi is as good as promised, he will get his chances. The two players can very much coexists (and be part of the future together).
But the real tripping point might come from a simple venn diagram. Is there a player who is cheaper, younger, and better than Pulisic that is available right now (or in the summer)? What about just two of those? That debate quickly dries the targets up and Pulisic becomes the standout.
This is a good deal for Chelsea. If Pulisic had been bought in the summer for 45 million pounds (before his injury took him out of Lucien Favre’s sights), many would have called it a solid piece of business.
There are a lot of deals the Chelsea board has gotten wrong in recent years. This is not one of them. Pulisic is the cheapest, best, and youngest winger available right now. If fans (and Sarri) give him a chance, he will take it and be seen as a steal. If fans have already written him off, there is little he can do to change that perception.