Christian Pulisic’s transfer saga is finally over, with a Premier League giant winning the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder’s services.
London outfit Chelsea won the race for Pulisic, agreeing to a $73 million deal (£58 mil) with Borussia Dortmund, the club confirmed on Wednesday. Pulisic will remain on loan at Dortmund for the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign before joining Maurizio Sarri’s squad in the summer.
“In summer I move on to Chelsea and to a new competition, the English Premier League,” 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.”
Since breaking through for Dortmund during the 2015-16 campaign, Pulisic has made 115 appearances for the Bundesliga side. He scored 15 goals and added 24 assists since, while also being the leader of a young USMNT.
“We are delighted to have signed one of Europe’s most sought-after young players. Christian has shown his quality during a fantastic spell in Germany and at just 20, we believe he has the potential to become an important Chelsea player for many years to come,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said. “We look forward to welcoming him to Stamford Bridge in the summer and wish him and Dortmund every success for the remainder of the season.”
Despite Dortmund’s rise to the Bundesliga table this campaign, Pulisic has struggled for consistent minutes under first-year manager Lucien Favre. In 18 appearances this season, Pulisic has scored three goals and added three assists. However, Pulisic had been fighting with England starlet Jadon Sancho for time in Favre’s starting XI.
PSG and Liverpool were also hovering over the 20-year-old but Chelsea has been the most active over recent weeks.
Dortmund returns to Bundesliga play on Jan. 19th at RB Leipzig.