
In a deal worth up to €22 million ($24.2 million, £18.8 million), AC Milan has reached an agreement with Chelsea for the transfer of Christian Pulisic.
The agreement entails an initial fee of €20 million plus €2 million in potential add-ons. Furthermore, a significant sell-on clause will be included in the event of a future transfer.
Milan submitted a second bid for Pulisic on Wednesday, amounting to a package worth up to €22 million, following their previous offer of $15.3 million for the captain of the United States Men’s National Team.
At the age of 24, Pulisic is set to depart from Chelsea due to his struggle in securing a regular spot in the team and his desire for consistent playing time ahead of crucial years for the USMNT. With the 2024 Copa America taking place next summer and the United States co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, Pulisic seeks to establish himself in a prominent role.
Lyon also made a bid of €25 million for Pulisic earlier this week, aligning more closely with Chelsea’s desired figure. However, Pulisic made it clear that he was not interested in joining Lyon.
Pulisic, who had only one year remaining on his contract at Chelsea, has already reached an agreement with Milan.
Chelsea and Milan have developed a positive relationship in recent years, with players such as Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori, Tiemoue Bakayoko, and most recently, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, all joining the Italian club.
With Loftus-Cheek’s recent arrival, Milan has filled one of their two non-EU registration slots for the upcoming season. Pulisic does not count toward the second slot as he holds a Croatian passport.
During the 2022-23 season, Pulisic made only eight Premier League starts for Chelsea.
He initially joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in January 2019 for a fee of £58 million ($63.6 million) but remained on loan in Germany for the remainder of the season.
Pulisic was part of Chelsea’s Champions League-winning squad in 2020-21, notably scoring in the first leg of the semi-final against Real Madrid.
Despite his struggles at the domestic level, Pulisic remains a crucial player for the United States, having earned 60 international caps and scored 25 goals for his country.
He started all four of the USMNT’s matches at the 2022 World Cup and received the player of the match award in two of the three group stage fixtures. Pulisic concluded the tournament with a goal and two assists in four appearances.
In the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, he was named the player of the tournament as the United States defeated Canada in the final, securing their second consecutive Nations League title.
Pulisic ranked 20th in terms of minutes played across all competitions for Chelsea in the 2022-23 season. Chelsea’s actions in the first year of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s ownership indicate a departure from the American, including significant spending on players like Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk, amounting to over £100 million ($124.1 million) combined.
The source of some Chelsea fans’ animosity towards Pulisic is difficult to pinpoint. His perceived criticism of former head coach Thomas Tuchel in his 2022 book did not sit well with many supporters.
Additionally, some of the negativity could stem from the persistent hype surrounding Pulisic as the face of American soccer, which he largely lived up to with impressive performances at the World Cup in Qatar.
Perhaps the discontent also arises from the frustration that, despite an outstanding end to the 2019-20 season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pulisic has not come close to replicating that form.