Christian Pulisic new club after Chelsea: Potential transfer destinations for USMNT star as AC Milan bid

U.S. international Christian Pulisic has seen his playing time steadily decrease during the last few years at Chelsea, leading to significant speculation that he will depart Stamford Bridge this summer in search of greener pastures.

There has been much turmoil and turnover at Chelsea the last few years, and Todd Boehly's aggressive transfer approach has seen Pulisic saddled with major competition as an influx of attacking players bulge the Chelsea roster.

According to reports, Chelsea are open to selling Pulisic as they ready for another period of busy transfer activity. With his contract at Stamford Bridge set to expire next summer, Chelsea will likely look to offload him now rather than carry the U.S. star as dead weight in the final year of his deal.

Pulisic has proven his abilities in both the Premier League and Champions League over the past few years, when given a run in the side, and his services will be of interest to a number of top European clubs, both in the Premier League and abroad.

“I had what I thought was a great couple of years and the last couple of years just haven’t gone at all how I planned them to be," Pulisic said bluntly while on international duty in the United States. To be fair to CP, it didn't go as planned for anyone at Chelsea this past season.

With Pulisic still considered one of the best players on the U.S. international roster, it will be of significant interest to USMNT fans which club appears as the 24-year-old's next destination.

MORE: What happened to Christian Pulisic at Chelsea? USMNT star sees minutes decline

AC Milan reportedly interested in Christian Pulisic

According to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, there is mutual interest from all sides on a move for Christian Pulisic to AC Milan.

A move to the Italian club would make sense, as they saw regular starter Brahim Diaz return to Real Madrid after a two-year loan spell. Diaz signed a new contract with Madrid, ending any chance that Milan had of signing him permanently.

The Gazzetta report states that Pulisic could be available for a €25 million transfer fee ($26.9m / £21.5m) and that Milan would look to deploy the American on the right wing, with Rafael Leao occupying the opposite flank. Milan reportedly submitted an initial bid of €14 million ($15.3m / £12m), according to The Athletic, but that was well beaten by other offers.

While the Italian side was reportedly hesitant to go higher than that initial submission, The Athletic reported a few days later that Milan had moved past those fears and are back with a €22 million($24m / £18.8m) bid for Pulisic. This appears to be their final attempt, as the report also claims they've lined up a backup option if this move does not materialize.

Pulisic could look to international teammate Sergino Dest for insight on the Italian club. Dest spent the second half of this past season at Milan, but failed to break into the first team at all, with head coach Stefano Pioli suggesting at the end of the campaign that Dest struggled to adapt to his tactical setup.

Lyon submit big bid for Christian Pulisic

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, French club Lyon has bid €25 million for Pulisic ($27.3m / £21.4m), which would meet Chelsea's valuation.

Lyon finished a disappointing seventh in the Ligue 1 standings last year, and they are looking to revamp their roster. To date, Lyon have not secured any incoming transfers, but they've been linked with 23-year-old attacking midfielder Eduard Spertsyan of Russian side Krasnodar, who could be competition for the American.

OL relied far too heavily on Alexandre Lacazette in front of goal last year. The former Arsenal striker scored 27 league goals, but nobody else on the roster picked up more than six. Pulisic would likely slide straight in as a starter for the French side, but would not play European football next season if he joined.

However, it was later reported by ESPN that Pulisic was not interested in a move to Lyon, and that while the size of the bid will put other clubs on notice of his potential market value, this move in particular appears dead.

Juventus reportedly chasing Christian Pulisic

Another Italian club reportedly chasing the capture of Christian Pulisic is Juventus, according to Marc Ogden of ESPN, who goes so far to suggest that the Old Lady are "leading the race" for the American.

Ogden says that while Juve are "reluctant" to match what Pulisic currently makes at Chelsea, which is around £13 million ($16.3m / €15.1m) per year, they're still hoping to come to an agreement. The Athletic reported that Pulisic is "willing to take a pay cut to facilitate a move" which could give the Italian side hope.

A move to Juventus would also make sense for Pulisic. Not only would he look to replace the departing Angel Di Maria on the wing, but he would also get to link up with international teammate Weston McKennie, who in all likelihood will return to Juventus this summer after a disappointing half-season loan spell at Leeds United.

Other possible transfer destinations for Christian Pulisic

The other likely destination is also in Italy, as defending champions Napoli could be interested in the American. According to reports, owner Aurelio de Laurentiis would be interested in Pulisic for both sporting and economic reasons, hoping to tap into the U.S. sponsorship market. It would be a sensible move for Napoli, because while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is entrenched on the left wing, Hirving Lozano has struggled to hold down the starting spot on the right wing due to injuries and lapses in form.

Manchester United were reportedly interested in Pulisic a summer ago, but there's been little on that front since a move failed to materialize. Pulisic has also been softly linked to fellow Premier League side Newcastle, but The Athletic reported that despite their interest a year ago, they are no longer chasing his services.

A move to the Bundesliga is unlikely, since there are only two clubs at his level, and neither appears a viable option. Having already played for Borussia Dortmund, a return would be seen as a step backwards, while his former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is at Bayern Munich, and his struggles for playing time began under the German.

ESPN also reports that Turkish club Galatasaray could be in the hunt, although that seems like a last resort for a player with significantly higher aspirations of performing at a Big 5 European league side.

Christian Pulisic stats at Chelsea

While Christian Pulisic has not been a consistent presence within the Chelsea lineup, he has delivered when given a run of games. With the Blues, Pulisic has scored a total of 26 goals and assisted 21 more, with some very important contributions.

The American's most important goal for Chelsea is almost certainly his strike against Real Madrid in the first leg of their 2021 Champions League semifinal, helping secure a 1-1 draw. He then assisted the eventual winning goal in the return leg at home to advance 3-1 on aggregate, with Chelsea advancing to the 2021 final where they would lift the trophy.

A first of the season for @cpulisic_10! 😁#CheWol pic.twitter.com/3jy4NiWf8O

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 8, 2022