Milan prepares Pulisic contract extension amid blazing form

AC Milan is working on the latest contract extension for Christian Pulisic, the American who has been a shining point in the club’s season. Milan is not projected to win any trophies this year. That would indicate a disappointing season in most respects. Yet, Pulisic has been one major positive to emerge out of the red side of the San Siro this season. The American is on the best form since his brilliant spell with Chelsea following the Premier League restart during the pandemic. That continues to garner praise from fans and the Milan board alike.

Consequently, the club wants to keep Pulisic in Milan beyond his current deal. When Pulisic joined Milan, he signed a four-year contract. However, there was an option for an extension into a fifth year that would end after the 2027/28 campaign. According to reports out of Italy, Milan is already willing to pull the trigger on that contract extension. By the time it expires in 2028, Pulisic will be 29 years old.

It is not hard to see why Milan wants to keep Pulisic in the red and black kit. Having made 41 appearances across all competitions this season, he is tied for the team lead in games played this season. In those many fixtures, Pulisic has scored the second most goals for AC Milan. He has 13 goals, which is more than Portuguese star Rafael Leao, and both players operate on the wings. Remarkably, he is halfway to his goal total from four seasons with Chelsea. He has played less than one-third of the same number of games.

Recent form produces contract extension talks between Pulisic and Milan

Three of Pulisic’s 13 goals have come in Milan’s last four games. While individual brilliance does not always lead to team success, the Rossoneri have picked up wins in their last five games. Each of Pulisic’s three goals in this span proved to be the game-winning goal. At times, he has shown great skill with world-class goals. His first goal for Milan came from a thumping shot from well outside the opposition’s box. Then, his recent goal against Lecce was a weak-footed attempt that whizzed past the goalkeeper from outside the box again.

Part of the reason Milan would want to lock in Pulisic is the value of his current contract. Extending this out to five years ensures Milan can capitalize on the relatively low cost of Pulisic for his remarkable output. Pulisic has the fourth-highest salary on the Milan squad at $107,000 per week. However, that is considerably lower than Rafael Leao, who remains the star player for Milan despite not matching Pulisic’s goal total.

The argument here is that Leao has also provided assists. The Portuguese has 11 assists on the season in all competitions to lead the team. However, Pulisic is not far behind with eight. Moreover, since the beginning of March, Pulisic has tied Leao for the most goal contributions among all players in Serie A.

Coming over on a $21 million transfer from Chelsea, Pulisic has been one of the best signings in Europe, let alone Serie A. Pulisic will continue to pay dividends with his contract extension at Milan.

PHOTO: IMAGO