Over the weekend, we learned that Captain America, Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic, has reached an agreement on personal terms with AC Milan. However, as the two clubs haven’t reached an agreement on the transfer fee yet, the deal is far from done. That leaves the door open for other potential suitors.
Enter Ligue 1 side Lyon, who have submitted an offer of £21 million ($27m), according to ESPN.
BREAKING ?Chelsea have received written offer from Lyon for Christian Pulisic. €25m (+ meaningful sell-on still being negotiated): a level Chelsea would find acceptable. {@David_Ornstein}#CFC pic.twitter.com/1QN8FUBh4S
— ?????? ???? (@Philipmelo126) July 2, 2023
The Athletic has the same report, but they quote €25m as the price. If Pulisic were keen to join Lyon, it would not be the first time that the face of American football/soccer moved to the club. That happened on the women’s side, with Alex Morgan playing for the club in 2017.
It looks like it is not going to happen though, even despite Lyon having matched Stamford Bridge’s asking price for the 24-year-old Hershey, Pennsylvania native.
Lyon reportedly can’t, or won’t match what Milan are offering Pulisic in wages. More importantly, you know how it goes with transfers, 9/10 the player decides. Pulisic, who has been strongly linked with a move to Juventus in the past, is focused on joining the club he wants, and that’s Milan.
The sum of £21 million is obviously a lot less than the £58 million Chelsea paid Borussia Dortmund for the player in January of 2019, an amount that remains a record for an American born player.
However, when you consider that Pulisic only scored once, and managed just two assists, in 30 games, this past season, it makes sense.
While Pulisic remains as big a star as ever on the international level, the downturn of his club career has diminished his value in the transfer market, and Chelsea must take what they can get.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.