Christian Pulisic opens up about Chelsea struggles after successful Milan move

Christian Pulisic, one of the brightest young talents to emerge from the USMNT, made a splash in Europe early in his career. However, a series of injuries hindered his breakthrough at Chelsea. Now enjoying a fresh start at AC Milan, Pulisic has opened up about his challenging time in England.

After impressing at Borussia Dortmund, 20-year-old Pulisic became a marquee signing for Chelsea in 2019, with the club paying $73 million for his services. Despite winning the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League, the American winger struggled to find consistency and establish himself in the team. In an interview with The Athletic, Pulisic discussed his time at Stamford Bridge and the decision to move on in search of greater opportunity.

“For sure, it was difficult. I became very used to my environment in Chelsea. I learned so much, won a lot and was really happy with how things went in certain ways. But when it’s time for a change, you can feel it with all of your being. If I wanted to reach that next level, this is a step that I had to take,” Pulisic said about his exit from Chelsea.

Pulisic also spoke about the importance of confidence in his game and the pressure he faced at Chelsea, particularly under the intense scrutiny of his time on the pitch: “It’s not to say it’s easier now (at Milan) than it was with Chelsea, but there was a time in Chelsea where I felt on top of the world… And there was also a time when that was extremely difficult because I wasn’t getting the time. I felt pressure that I needed to do more when I did get on the pitch in some kind of way.”

After the 2022 takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Pulisic found himself increasingly sidelined, leading to his summer 2023 departure. Now at AC Milan, who paid $21 million for his services, Pulisic has regained his confidence. “Now, I’m in a really good head space where I feel quite confident. I feel a lot of trust from the club in a lot of ways,” he said.

Between 2019 and 2023, Pulisic appeared in 145 matches for Chelsea, scoring 26 goals and providing 19 assists. During that time, he won the 2020-21 Champions League, the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2021-22 UEFA Super Cup, cementing his place in Chelsea history.

Pulisic’s continued growth at Milan

Pulisic improved his game drastically since he signed with AC Milan. He has proven to be a key starter, first for Stefano Pioli, and now Paulo Fonseca, playing him in the 10 position. This season, he’s been able to keep up the level from last one, scoring 8 goals, and delivering 6 assists in 20 games.

Despite these good numbers and personal moment, as The Athletic reports, it’s not the ideal time for the player to focus about his figure, taking into account that collectively Milan stands in the seventh position in the Serie A, 9 points far from the Champions League qualification places, and far from the team expectations.

While Pulisic didn’t claim this would be his best season in terms of numbers, he acknowledged his growth at Milan: “In each area, I’m getting a little bit better. Whether that be finishing, crossing, defending, tactically growing and understanding the game better. I feel like I’m improving and becoming a lot stronger mentally, knowing that when tougher times do hit, I’m able to not let it affect me as much, making the less confident moments become a little bit shorter.”