It’s widely known that as soon as Chelsea’s takeover is completed and the government sanctions are lifted, Marina Granovskaia is going to hit the ground running. The Blues’ transfer guru is going to begin negotiations with numerous different parties, most notably Sevilla. Longtime centerback target Jules Kounde is expected to be the first signing through the door this summer as Thomas Tuchel looks to reinforce his back line following the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on free deals. The defense and midfield will come under the microscope early on, but that doesn’t mean Chelsea doesn’t have some work to do in the attack.
Whereas the back line and midfield will see some new faces regardless of other movement, the business done at the front will largely depend on outgoings. The Blues have a crowded attack as things stand, and it’s unlikely Tuchel sanctions any moves that only further that issue. One of the reasons many of Chelsea’s forwards are disgruntled at the moment is a lack of minutes shown to some players. Individuals such as Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech have all felt let down by the manager’s apparent lack of faith in their abilities to impact games.
Christian Pulisic has dropped some ominous hints on his social media account regarding his long-term future with Chelsea
However, the former has undoubtedly been the most vocal about his frustrations. It seems that every time Pulisic departs on international duty or every time his family picks up their phones, there is a comment that surfaces voicing unhappiness of some sort. Now, this is not to say these comments aren’t valid, it’s merely an observation. The American has been in the headlines again recently as he’s constantly the topic of discussion amongst the media. This time though, he’s fueling the fire with his actions on social media.
Just weeks after Pulisic’s father took to Twitter to speak about his son’s situation, the winger has tried to subtly distance himself from the club on his Instagram account. Pulisic changed his profile photo to one of him in generic street clothes, as opposed to his Chelsea kit. Furthermore, he removed any mention of the Blues in his bio and he’s even deleted numerous posts of him with his club. The latter is the least ominous considering how much idiots—yes, idiots—online seem to love abusing professional athletes safely from behind their screens. Nonetheless, these aren’t positive signs for the United States winger’s future in west London.
Pulisic has struggled for game time since making the switch over from Dortmund in the summer of 2019. It’s hardly for anything he did wrong though. The 23-year-old has battled constant injuries throughout his stint with Chelsea, struggling to ever stay healthy for an extended period of time. He did string together a decent run of games when he was fully fit toward the back half of the last campaign. Unfortunately for him, Tuchel had to chop and change the attack to make up for the struggles of Romelu Lukaku in the striker position.
The youngster’s stuck between a rock and a hard place in his career right now. The Blues rescued him from being a super substitute at Dortmund during the latter stage of his career there, but he’s now seemingly taken on that role under Tuchel in SW6. There doesn’t seem to be a ton of interest in the open market for the American either, so his best chance at adequately preparing for the 2022 World Cup may be “suffering through” another season at Stamford Bridge.
In the end, his future is largely in his own hands. Tuchel and the new ownership will be eager to make some sales up top in order to get new faces into the building. That being said, Boehly and his business partners are American and the Blues are preparing to take a tour of the United States in July. Pulisic would undoubtedly help grow Chelsea’s popularity in the States during the preseason trip as he’s a fan favorite across the pond, often seen as the savior of U.S. Soccer.
Part of the reason life in London must be so hard right now is because he’s living the other extreme. Pulisic is a hero in his country, but an outcast at his club. He needs to find a place where he’ll be treated as someone right in the middle. The youngster deserves that respect—be it at Chelsea or his next destination—from the fans. Right now, things aren’t looking great for Pulisic’s future with the Blues ahead of an all-important transfer window.
What do you think the future holds for Pulisic? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!