Christian Pulisic says he's ready for 'fresh start' at AC Milan after 'difficult' time at Chelsea

After struggling for playing time in his fourth season with Chelsea, Christian Pulisic finalized a four-year contract with U.S.-owned AC Milan on Thursday.

The 24-year-old American midfielder and forward, who joined Chelsea after four seasons with Borussia Dortmund, scored 26 goals in 145 games with the Blues and won a Champions League medal in 2021.

But after netting 19 Premier League goals in his first three seasons he had just one in 2022-23 — none in 20 matches after October 8th.

He made just two starts after January 5th.

Considered the top American player with 25 goals in 60 international appearances, Pulisic was sidelined by a string of injuries and didn't live up to expectations at Chelsea. He left the London club with a year left on his contract. His deal with Milan includes a team option for 2027-28.

Pulisic scored three goals at Burnley in October 2019, becoming the second American with a Premier League hat trick after Fulham's Clint Dempsey in 2012. He was the first American with a goal in an FA Cup, a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in 2020.

But his playing time dwindled as Chelsea changed managers from Frank Lampard to Thomas Tuchel to Graham Potter and back to Lampard.

Milan is controlled by the American investment firm RedBird Capital Partners led by Gerry Cardinale, and baseball's New York Yankees are a minority investor. Milan is paying a transfer fee of 20 million euros ($22 million) for Pulisic, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport. That’s less than a third of what Chelsea paid Borussia Dortmund for Pulisic in 2019.

Pulisic is set to become the third American to play for the Rossoneri after defender Oguchi Onyewu, who appeared in one Champions League match for 31 minutes, and right back Sergiño Dest, who was on loan from Barcelona last season and didn't dress after Jan. 24.

Milan is a seven-time European champion and lost to city rival Inter in a Champions League semifinal last spring. The Rossoneri won the last of their 19 Serie A titles in 2022.

Getting playing time is key for Pulisic and other top U.S. players ahead of next year's Copa América, to be played in the United States, and a 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Pulisic is the second Chelsea player to leave for Milan this month after Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Pulisic will also be reunited with former Chelsea teammates Olivier Giroud and Fikayo Tomori at Milan.

Pulisic will take Zlatan Ibrahimovic's No. 11 shirt. The former Sweden international retired after last season.

Please subscribe, like the video and share wherever you can!

Help support the channel from only £0.99p a month!!
Get special loyalty badges next to your name in the comments and live chat! You'll also get team badge emojis from your favourite team to use in live chat and premieres!! Click 'Join' below the video for more info or visit = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiVg6vRhuyjsWgHkDNOig6A/join

**DO NOT copy and re-upload any part of this video anywhere otherwise copyright strikes will be made! You do not have my permission to use this footage**

To make sure you don't miss any of my videos
on this and my other channels please:

Subscribe here!: http://bit.ly/BeanymanSportsSub

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BeanymanSports
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@BeanymanSports
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeanymanSports
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeanymanSports

For business enquiries, sponsorships, and ads, please contact beanymansportsmarketing@gmail.com

#pulisic #acmilan #christianpulisic