Newcastle United are reportedly plotting to sign Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic ahead of the January transfer window, as the Magpies look to strengthen their attacking options.
What’s the word?
According to the Daily Mirror, the St James’ Park outfit are believed to be readying a move for the United States international, with sporting director Dan Ashworth hoping to make the 24-year-old the club’s next ‘statement signing’.
The report suggests that while rival Premier League suitors Arsenal and Manchester United are eyeing a loan swoop for the former Borussia Dortmund man, the Blues are said to prefer a permanent departure, with the Tynesiders willing to lodge a bid for his services.
The piece does add, however, that while those at Stamford Bridge are hoping to recoup a fee of around £40m for their asset – having signed the 56-cap gem for £58m back in 2019 – Ashworth and co would seemingly hope to seal the deal for a lower price.
Encouragingly as far as the top-four hopefuls are concerned, the player himself is said to be open to moving north, as per the report, with Newcastle viewing him as a potential solution in their quest to bolster their squad on the flanks.
‘Gamechanger’ for Howe
Pulisic – who was linked with a move to join the northeast side in the summer – has somewhat fallen by the wayside at his current club having been restricted to just five starts in all competitions for the west London outfit, having struggled to nail down a regular starting berth during his time in England thus far.
That lack of game time may well be of concern to Eddie Howe, although the 5 foot 10 “magician” – as described by journalist Al Butler – has more than showcased his quality for his country in recent weeks at the World Cup.
The fleet-footed “gamechanger” – as previously described by Melissa Reddy – notably scored once and laid on two assists in his four outings in the competition in Qatar, having helped steer his nation into the last-16 with a pivotal goal against Iran in the final group game.
The £150k-per-week man proved a real livewire throughout the tournament from his left-sided berth, having recorded five chance-creating carries in the competition as a marker of his creative brilliance, as per Opta Analyst, with only France’s Kylian Mbappe registering more to date (6).
That impact is an indication of just what the Hershey-born sensation can bring to the table if he is allowed a consistent run in the side and the full backing of his manager, with “Captain Marvel” – as he is affectionately known – seemingly relishing his talismanic status at international level.
A man for the big occasion, Pulisic is clearly an asset who can dictate and win games almost on his own for his country, with such an addition to Howe’s ranks potentially set to prove a ‘gamechanger’ in the second half of the campaign and beyond.
With the current onus on Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron to deliver the goods – with the pair the club’s top scorers at present this season with 14 goals between them – bringing the American into the fold could well help to shoulder the goalscoring burden.
It may prove a tough task trying to win the race for the player’s signature, although Ashworth must simply do all he can to get a deal wrapped up.