SOCCER
Christian Pulisic AC Milan transfer nears completion: what number jersey will he wear?
The USMNT star is set to depart Premier League side Chelsea after struggling for consistency during his four years in West London.
AC Milan are on the brink of completing a deal to bring Christian Pulisic to San Siro. A transfer fee of €22 million ($24m) has been agreed with his current club, Chelsea.
The USMNT captain has never managed to produce his best performances on a regular basis in England, despite arriving to high expectations.
Chelsea paid Borussia Dortmund £58 million ($64m) for Pulisic back in 2019. He was a part of the Chelsea team that won the Champions League in 2021 but has struggled with fitness issues during his career in England.
Pulisic could soon join former Chelsea teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek in Milan, after the Englishman penned a deal last week.
AC Milan Pulisic jersey number
The USMNT captain had slipped down the pecking order at Chelsea over the past 18 months and struggled for game time in 2022/23. There were high expectations for Pulisic when he was signed as a 20-year-old.
For his second season at Stamford Bridge he was given the Number 10, following the departure of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid. He continued to wear that number for the remainder of his time with Chelsea and also wears Number 10 for USMNT.
However he seems unlikely to get that privilege at AC Milan, where the talismanic Rafael Leao is currently in possession of the Number 10 jersey.
As it stands, AC Milan do not currently have a Number 22. Pulisic wore that number throughout his time with Borussia Dortmund and for his first season in England. With that history, he may well decide to resurrect the Number 22 in Milan.
Who else have Chelsea sold this summer?
Chelsea have been on a major selling spree this summer as they look to build a squad to the specifications of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The Blues’ squad had become incredibly bloated and the club is under pressure to lower the wage bill to satisfy Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions.
When Pulisic’s departure is officially announced he will be the eighth first team player to leave the club this summer.
The other seven are Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Édouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, César Azpilicueta and N’Golo Kanté.