UK Edition
Chelsea strike early in transfer window to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Christian Pulisic for £57.6m
Chelsea believe they have stolen a march on their Premier League rivals by clinching the £57.6million signing of Christian Pulisic and loaning him back to Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the season.
The size of the fee for a player who would have only had 12 months remaining on his Dortmund contract at the end of the season, when he will join Chelsea, has raised eyebrows in Germany.
But Chelsea are confident the deal will prove to be a significant coup and, that by paying a small premium to sign Pulisic now, they have avoided the threat of a summer auction.
It also means Pulisic will move to Stamford Bridge, regardless of whether or not the Blues are hit with a transfer ban by Fifa, who have been investigating a number of their transfers.
Pulisic had long been linked with Liverpool, while Tottenham Hotspur showed an interest in the winger last summer – when Chelsea first registered their desire to sign him – and Arsenal head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, who worked as a scout for Dortmund, is a big fan of the player.
But Blues insiders believe the uncertainty at Manchester United also prompted Chelsea to act immediately. With no permanent manager and looking at restructuring their recruitment set-up, United were in no position to rival the Stamford Bridge club for Pulisic this month.
Chelsea felt that could have changed when United hire a full-time successor to Jose Mourinho in the summer and did not want a bidding war breaking out. Tottenham may have also been in a better position to make a move if Pulisic’s future had remained undecided until Spurs finally get into their new stadium.
The early signing of Pulisic also ensures Chelsea will not be backed into a corner if Eden Hazard leaves the club at the end of the season.
While Pulisic has not been signed as a replacement and there is genuine hope the 20-year-old will play in the same team as Hazard, his guaranteed arrival in the summer puts the Blues in a stronger position.
Chelsea’s negotiating power when trying to sign a goalkeeper last summer was impacted by the relatively late departure of Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid and they eventually paid a club record fee of £71.6m to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga.
But should Madrid leave it late again over Hazard, then Chelsea will not face a desperate hunt to find a new winger with a large fee in the bank pushing up asking prices.
Hazard’s Chelsea deal expires in 2020, the same year in which Willian, Pedro and 18-year-old Bayern Munich target Callum Hudson-Odoi will currently be out of contract, so the club’s need for a winger was obvious.
Pulisic has already lived in England 14 years ago, when his family moved to Northamptonshire so that father Mark could complete part of his Uefa A coaching badge at Lilleshall. During that time, Pulisic played for a boys team connected to Brackley Town, currently in the sixth tier of English football, and visited a number of Premier League stadiums.
Having moved back to America and then joined Dortmund as a 16-year-old in 2015, Pulisic made his breakthrough in 2016, quickly establishing a reputation for being one of the most exciting talents in world football.
He made 12 appearances, scoring two goals in his breakthrough campaign and then played 43 and 42 games in the following two seasons. Pulisic has not been a guaranteed starter this term, often trading places with England international Jadon Sancho, but that can be partly attributed to minor injuries and his refusal to sign a new Dortmund contract.
Pulisic, though, wanted to complete his final season with Dortmund, which could see the German club win the Bundesliga title, and join Chelsea with a full pre-season in which to impress head coach Maurizio Sarri.
Having signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea, Pulisic said: “In the summer, I move on to Chelsea and to a new competition, the English Premier League. It’s a privilege to have signed for such a legendary club and I look forward to working hard towards being a contributor to their team of world class players.”
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added: “We are delighted to have signed one of Europe’s most sought-after young players. Christian has shown his quality during a fantastic spell in Germany and at just 20, we believe he has the potential to become an important Chelsea player for many years to come. We look forward to welcoming him to Stamford Bridge in the summer and wish him and Dortmund every success for the remainder of the season.”
Chelsea are still trying to sign a new striker during this month’s transfer window, with Alvaro Morata expected to leave on loan if they do so. The club are also looking for a like-for-like midfield replacement for Cesc Fabregas, who is hoping to join Monaco on a free transfer.