Chelsea could allow Christian Pulisic to leave

American forward has been linked with Barcelona

Posted Tuesday, November 16, 2021 by Marca.com

Barcelona's search for a wide-player to rejuvenate their attacking corps continues, and this endeavour has been aided by the fact Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel have opened the door for Christian Pulisic to leave in January.

Pulisic was a key figure in Tuchel's early months at Chelsea, although his lack of consistency has long been a problem at Stamford Bridge.

Xavi Hernandez is desperate to make his second signing an attacking one, and efforts could be made to see what Chelsea would deem an acceptable fee for the American.

According to El Nacional, Tuchel has already made the decision to sell the forward, even though they retain a strong personal relationship.

Barcelona's financial situation is still problematic and adding new players in the winter will require some creative accounting and deal structuring.

As is also the case with Raheem Sterling, Los Cules would hope to offer an initial loan deal in order to strengthen their own squad whilst not overly opening their wallet.

With Sterling having fallen completely out of favour at Manchester City this term, his availability has also been noted at the top of the Catalan club.

Pulisic has struggled with injuries for much of this season, meaning he has played just four matches since the beginning of the 2021/22 season.

The presence of fellow American international, Sergino Dest, could help persuade Pulisic of a temporary move to the Camp Nou in January.

Problems in attack

Sergio Aguero's heart problem has only increased the need for forward reinforcements in January at Barcelona, with Xavi for the moment having to rely on Ansu Fati, Luuk de Jong, Memphis Depay and Ousmane Dembele.

There isn't a lot of variety in that selection and it is obvious why the club feels the need to strengthen in the winter window.

Pulisic would represent a departure from Xavi's first signing as Blaugrana coach, with Dani Alves bringing immense experience and trophy-winning know-how, Pulisic on the other had is still a relative rookie despite his experience in London and with Borussia Dortmund.