Report: Chelsea, USMNT Star Christian Pulisic Eyed by Manchester United in Loan Deal

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Manchester United have reportedly asked about acquiring Christian Pulisic on a loan from Chelsea, according to James Olley of ESPN FC.

Andy Mitten of The Athletic also reported the potential move, noting the forward is “frustrated with his lack of starts” and would “prefer” a move to Manchester United.

There could still be competition for the American with Newcastle United, Juventus and Atlético Madrid all also linked with Pulisic.

The 23-year-old has been up-and-down with Chelsea since arriving on a £58million ($70m) transfer from Borussia Dortmund. He scored nine league goals during his first year with the team in 2019-20 before helping the squad win the Champions League title in 2021, but his playing time has been inconsistent over the past two seasons.

In 2021-22, Pulisic started just 13 Premier League matches while making 22 appearances. His 1,286 minutes ranked just 17th on Chelsea despite tying for fourth on the team with six goals.

The winger averaged 0.56 goals and assists per 90 minutes, which ranked third on the team with at least 10 appearances.

This production came despite moving around the lineup to get on the pitch, including some appearances as a wingback in manager Thomas Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 system. Transfermarkt listed six different positions for Pulisic over his 38 appearances in all competitions last season.

With just 30 minutes off the bench through two matches in 2022-23, it seems the forward may need a fresh start.

Manchester United could certainly use attacking help after a dreadful start to the year that puts them bottom of the Premier League table. The squad has just one goal in its two losses, which came from an own goal in their 2-1 defeat Brighton and Hove Albion.

Despite his struggles at times with Chelsea, Pulisic has proved to be an impact player with the United States national team, scoring 21 goals with 10 assists in 50 appearances. The next step is to carry this over to the club level.

A move to Newcastle could also create more playing time for Pulisic, helping a team that failed to find the back of the net against Brighton in its last match.

Atletico Madrid and Juventus could offer Champions League football, with the latter providing a chance to reunite with USMNT teammate Weston McKennie. However, they could also create the same challenges for playing time on a weekly basis.