Chelsea primed to accept huge loss-making bid for winger who’s agreed personal terms with different club
Chelsea wingers Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling
Chelsea have received an offer for Christian Pulisic they deem ‘acceptable’, though greenlighting the move would prevent the American from joining a Champions League side he’s already agreed personal terms with, per reports.
The 24-year-old cost a whopping £58m when plucked from Borussia Dortmund back in 2019. Pulisic was viewed as the heir apparent to Eden Hazard who’d agreed what turned out to be an ill-fated move to Real Madrid.
Pulisic did show flashes at Stamford Bridge, though injuries, inconsistent form and the chopping and changing of managers hamstrung his Blues career.
The USA international has just one year remaining on his contract and is widely known to be among the laundry list of players Chelsea are open to selling this summer.
According to the Athletic’s David Ornstein, Italian giant AC Milan made a verbal bid to sign Pulisic on Sunday night.
Milan offered €14m (approx. £12m), and also struck an agreement on personal terms with the player.
However, Chelsea value the winger far higher and didn’t have long to wait before receiving a superior bid.
A subsequent update from Ornstein revealed French side Lyon tabled an official bid worth €25m (approx. £21.5m). Furthermore, Milan’s offering would also contain a ‘meaningful sell-on clause’.
Despite being a hefty £36.5m below the fee Chelsea paid Borussia Dortmund back in 2019, Ornstein concluded the Blues believe Lyon’s bid to be at an acceptable level.
Whether Chelsea have actually accepted the bid isn’t clear, though it stands to reason if choosing between the two, they’ll go with Lyon.
That may not be greeted so warmly by Pulisic who has already said yes to Milan on the personal terms front. What’s more, Milan will be in next year’s Champions League, while Lyon are out of Europe altogether.
In any case, Pulisic is expected to become just one of many to leave Stamford Bridge during a summer of great upheaval.
Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Mateo Kovacic (Man City), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan), N’Golo Kante (Al Ittihad) and Kai Havertz (Arsenal) are among the big names who’ve already left.
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