Leeds United may have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Christian Pulisic to Elland Road.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet CalcioMercato, who claim that Chelsea would be willing to accept an offer of £31.5m in order to part with the 24-year-old forward – with Juventus believed to be keen on a move for the USA international.
However, the Serie A giants could well face competition in the race for the former Borussia Dortmund sensation from both Jesse Marsch’s side and Newcastle United – who were linked with a move for Pulisic over the summer transfer window.
Indeed, in an interview with GIVEMESPORT back in August, Dean Jones revealed that both Premier League clubs were interested in the American, as well as Callum Hudson-Odoi, stating: “Newcastle are very much in the market for those two players, but I know Leeds have been having a look, too.”
Marsch would “love” it
While it is true that Pulisic has slipped down the Chelsea pecking order in recent months – starting just one Premier League fixture so far this season – the 24-year-old has nevertheless proven previously that, when given the opportunity to do so, he can be an integral part of a team’s attack.
Indeed, following his €64m (£58m) move to west London back in 2019, the £44.5m-rated talent made an immediate impact for the Blues, scoring nine goals, registering four assists and creating six big chances over his 25 Premier League appearances in 2019/20, in addition to taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 2.2 dribbles per game.
These returns saw the £150k-per-week forward average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Chelsea’s 13th-best performer in the top flight of English football that season – helping his side seal a fourth-place finish in the league that year.
In total, the player who Hakim Ziyech dubbed “crazy” has scored a total of 25 goals and provided 19 assists over his 123 appearances for the Blues – averaging a direct goal involvement every 163 minutes of football played – hardly a disastrous return for a winger.
Furthermore, it is clear that Pulisic – who is comfortable operating from either flank, in attacking midfield or even as a centre-forward – is a player who Marsch would love to work with, with the 48-year-old Leeds manager stating ahead of the Whites’ 3-0 win over Chelsea last month:
“Christian [Pulisic] is a big, big talent, the best in our country. The expectations on him are high, he has met a lot of those expectations. But with his talent, people are demanding more.
“Every time I’ve coached against him, he’s scored. I don’t have any negative criticisms. I would love to work with him, whether it is with the national team in the distant future. He has created a lot of firsts for American players.”
As such, should an opportunity arise for Orta to move for the 24-year-old – be that in January or next summer – it would appear extremely advisable for the Spaniard to do so, as not only would the 50-cap international represent an exceptional addition to the Whites’ attacking options, he is also clearly a player Marsch would love to have at his disposal.