Christian Pulisic, broadly considered the United States’ prime participant, Thursday joined Italian giants AC Milan, spearheading his journey towards the much-anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup on dwelling soil.
AC Milan unveiled a four-year contract with the choice for a further season, signaling a long-term dedication between participant and membership.
This switch comes as Pulisic departs Chelsea, the place he struggled with accidents and fell in need of fulfilling the lofty expectations positioned upon him.
Departing with one yr remaining on his contract, the 24-year-old midfielder-forward is now poised to turn out to be the third American to don the Rossoneri jersey, following within the footsteps of Oguchi Onyewu and Sergino Dest.
As the American-owned membership, backed by funding agency RedBird, secured Pulisic’s companies, reviews point out that Milan paid a switch payment of 20 million euros ($22 million), a mere fraction of the sum Chelsea had splurged to amass him from Borussia Dortmund in 2019.
The deal is seen as a calculated gamble by Milan, with the membership aiming to revitalize Pulisic’s profession and harness his immense potential.
Pulisic expressed his delight upon his arrival at Milan’s Malpensa airport, addressing the awaiting press.
“I’m very happy to be here. I’m excited. I’m excited to start with this historic club,” Pulisic enthused. “It’s legendary, and I’m really looking forward to joining and striving for success, aiming to secure silverware.”
AC Milan boast an illustrious historical past, topped European champions on seven events.
The crew’s latest Champions League semifinal defeat to native rivals Inter Milan solely heightened their urge for food for fulfillment, whereas their final Serie A triumph occurred in 2022, making them a formidable drive inside Italian soccer.
Despite his struggles at Chelsea, Pulisic can look again on his time on the membership with a way of accomplishment, having triumphed within the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea acknowledged his contributions in a heartfelt assertion, highlighting pivotal moments in his profession.
With 60 appearances for the United States nationwide crew, Pulisic has discovered the again of the online on 25 events.
Hailing from Pennsylvania, he performed a significant position in guiding the U.S. squad to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar, igniting hopes and desires for the upcoming 2026 version, which shall be collectively hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Pulisic will be part of Milan’s ranks because the second Chelsea participant to make the transfer this switch window, following Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Furthermore, he’ll reunite with former Chelsea teammates Olivier Giroud and Fikayo Tomori, forging a way of familiarity inside his new environment.
Comparatively talking, Pulisic’s Milan journey is poised to eclipse the underwhelming experiences of Onyewu and Dest on the membership.
Onyewu’s tenure was marred by a knee harm, suffered throughout U.S. nationwide crew responsibility, which restricted his enjoying time to a mere 31 minutes in a 2009 Champions League fixture.
Notably, he additionally discovered himself embroiled in a coaching session altercation with the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Dest, on mortgage from Barcelona final season, made solely eight appearances for Milan.
Assuming the revered No. 11 shirt, beforehand donned by Ibrahimovic, Pulisic goals to make an indelible affect as he takes on the mantle of a brand new period at AC Milan.
News of his impending switch was met with nice anticipation, because the Gazzetta dello Sport emblazoned his face on the entrance web page, accompanied by a headline that learn “Captain America is coming.”
The accompanying photomontage portrayed Pulisic adorned in a superhero costume, emphasizing the lofty expectations positioned upon him.
While Pulisic has captained the U.S. nationwide crew on quite a few events, it was Tyler Adams who held the armband on the 2022 World Cup.
As Pulisic embarks on this contemporary problem, he seeks to provoke his profession, harnessing his immense potential whereas igniting the hopes of a whole nation eagerly anticipating the 2026 World Cup on American soil.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
