Chelsea Transfer News: Craig Burley, a former FA Cup winner, says that Chelsea striker Christian Pulisic should leave the club to get consistent playing time elsewhere. Burley believes that a move to a team such as West Ham United would be beneficial to the American international.
Under current Blues boss Thomas Tuchel, Pulisic has battled to establish himself as a regular starter. The likes of Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and Romelu Lukaku have been favoured over him in recent months. His situation has also been hampered by nagging ailments.
Burley, who played for Chelsea between 1989 and 1997 and won the FA Cup during his time there, feels that Pulisic’s move to West Ham will be a step backwards for the player. However, the Scot went on to say that it might help the winger get more playing time under his belt in the future.
What Craig Burley said:
He said the following on ESPN (as reported by A Stamford Bridge Too Far):
“I feel a club like West Ham, for example, a team that is simply waiting about [in the European rankings], is a bad example. Even if it is a step back, I believe it represents a step forward in terms of receiving regular game time, whether in England, Spain, Germany, or anywhere.”
Shaka Hislop, a former goalkeeper for West Ham United, concurred with Burley’s assessment, saying:
“In Craig’s words, That move down to another club, a lesser club — Craig suggests my previous club, West Ham. I believe it would be an excellent match for him. It would be precisely what is needed for him to be playing, to be starting and starting regularly.”
While on international duty in April, Pulisic was specifically probed about the possibility of leaving the club. According to Sports Illustrated, he reacted by declaring that he was content with his current situation at Stamford Bridge. A move was not on his mind.
Chelsea Transfer News: In his first season at Chelsea, Christian Pulisic has had a rough season
Christian Pulisic’s 2021-22 club season got off to a strong start as he scored in Chelsea’s opening Premier League match against Crystal Palace. He helped the Blues to a 3-0 victory. But he contracted COVID-19 and sustained an ankle injury in short succession. It forced him to miss the team’s next 14 matches across all competitions.
Since then, Pulisic has appeared in only nine of the Blues’ last 34 league matches. In addition, he only played 368 minutes over nine UEFA Champions League games and 129 minutes in three Carabao Cup appearances this season.
For the current season, the American striker has made 34 appearances across all competitions. He averages 54.76 minutes per game. In those games, he has scored seven goals and provided four assists.
Over the course of his Chelsea career, Pulisic has appeared in 111 games since joining from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019. He has scored 24 goals and provided 18 assists.
Whether or not he will move out of Chelsea, time will only say that. For now, he needs to turn back his career.
