Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Report claims Man Utd ‘destined’ to sign Premier League playmaker in surprise £35m January deal

USA stars Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic

Chelsea attacker Christian Pulisic is reportedly ‘destined’ to join Manchester United during the winter transfer window amid interest from Italian giants Juventus.

The USA playmaker was linked with a loan switch to Old Trafford over the summer but that move never materialised as the two Premier League rivals failed to agree terms.

The 24-year-old is keen on a Stamford Bridge exit in January due to a lack of game time under Graham Potter, despite a recent report suggesting otherwise.

And, according to Calciomercato, he is on his way to the Red Devils to bolster Erik ten Hag’s squad.

The report adds that while Juventus have been contact with the player’s agents recently, the former Borussia Dortmund star is ‘destined’ to join United instead.

Pulisic had a superb debut season with Chelsea in 2019/2020 where he managed 21 goal contributions.

However, he has since struggled to find any real consistency. Indeed, he only has 26 goal involvements over the last two-and-a-half years.

The playmaker has not been helped by injury issues, while competition for places has also been tough.

Pulisic has, however, been showing his qualities at the World Cup in Qatar.

He scored the winner against Iran on Tuesday which booked USA a date with the Netherlands in the last 16.

At this stage it’s unclear whether United are pursuing a permanent deal for Pulisic. However, it’s unlikely that Chelsea would allow a top-four rival to take one of their players on a temporary basis.

Chelsea ready accept cut-price Pulisic fee

The Blues are said to value Pulisic at around £35million. That figure is significantly less than the £58m they initially paid for his services.

United are not the only suitors for his services though, with other Premier League clubs also keen.

Both Arsenal and Newcastle have shown interest, while Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has always been an admirer of the player.

However, Calcio appears to be confident that United are ready to seal the transfer. And if that is the case, Ten Hag could land a real coup for the club.

Quite where Pulisic fits into the Red Devils side is another matter though.

Ten Hag already utilises Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen in the same midfield. That means Pulisic would have to play further forward in a wider role.

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