CHELSEA RUSH TO SIGN PULISIC
Sought after player cost club £57.6m
Chelsea believe they have stolen a march on their Premier League rivals by clinching the £57.6m (R1bn) signing of Christian Pulisic and loaning him back to Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the season.
The size of the fee for a player who would have had only 12 months remaining on his contract at the end of the season has raised eyebrows in Germany. But Chelsea are confident the deal will prove to be a significant coup after avoiding the threat of a summer auction.
Pulisic had long been linked with Liverpool, while Tottenham Hotspur showed an interest in the winger last summer. Arsenal’s head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, who worked as a scout for Dortmund, is also a big fan of the American.
It is believed the uncertainty at Manchester United also prompted Chelsea to act immediately. With no permanent manager and looking at restructuring their recruitment set-up, United were in no state to rival the Stamford Bridge club for Pulisic this month.
Having signed a five-year contract with Chelsea, Pulisic said: “It’s a privilege to have signed for such a legendary club and I look forward to working hard towards being a contributor to their team of world-class players.”
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: “We’re delighted to have signed one of most sought-after young players. Christian has shown his quality during a fantastic spell in Germany.” –