Rumors are spreading that Premier League clubs Manchester United and Liverpool are preparing to chase after U.S. Men’s National Team standout Christian Pulisic this summer, according to the Independent.
The links to Merseyside are nothing new. Liverpool were reportedly interested in the teenager last summer, but a deal never materialized and he remained in Germany. Manchester United are newer to the race, and claim they will make a bid for Pulisic should Liverpool get involved.
“I am playing every week in the Bundesliga, in the Champions League, against top teams,” he told The Independent.
“When you do that every week, you are going to improve. When you play against the best players, you’re going to grow. I’m learning a lot: tactically, technically, gaining strength.”
With this in mind, he would have some high end talents to surpass in the pecking order should he leave for either of these two choices.
At United, the highly regarded Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial occupy the left attacking midfield slot that Pulisic would man in their 4-2-3-1 formation. Rashford, while still only 20, has shown a lot of talent at the Premier League level. This season alone he has four goals and five assists in 22 league appearances. Pulisic only has three Bundesliga goals and a lone assist.
On the other side, United have Juan Mata, who might be a little easier for Pulisic to surpass in the long run. He’s productive as both a scorer and playmaker, but his advanced age would make it easier for Jose Mourinho to move on from.
United, however, are reportedly on the lookout for a wide player and could reportedly offer former Dortmund man Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a swap-deal. The Armenian international supposedly wants to return to Germany after failing to catch on with Mourinho’s side.
Liverpool present a similar situation. Sadio Mane occupies the left side of the attack Jurgen Klopp’s 4-3-3 and has done quite well in that spot over the past couple years. He has five goals and four assists on the year in the Premier League, both outdoing Pulisic, while also adding on three goals in Champions League play. He’s in the prime of his career at 25-years-old and probably won’t step aside for a 19-year-old American getting his first crack at the Premier League
Opposite Mane is Mohammed Salah, who has taken England by storm in his first year with Liverpool. His 17 Premier League goals are second only to Harry Kane at this point and he shows no signs of slowing down. Should Pulisic make the move to Liverpool over the summer, there’s no way he knocks the Egyptian off his perch in the starting eleven.
There are other factors at Liverpool that would help Pulisic out, however. Jurgen Klopp was the manager at Dortmund when he first signed with the club back in 2015 at the age of 16. While Klopp was gone within a few months of him arriving, that brief history together could mean something should the two link up again.