USMNT star Christian Pulisic has been billed as “the MVP for this AC Milan team going forward” after enjoying a “brilliant” debut season in Italy.
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Moved to San Siro from Chelsea in 2023Has enjoyed a career-best campaignBig summer approaching in Copa AmericaWHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international completed a move to San Siro from Premier League giants Chelsea in the summer of 2023, following four years in London that saw him become a Champions League winner. Pulisic left England in search of regular game time and a suitable stage on which to showcase his talent.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT LALAS SAID
He found that in Milan, with a personal-best return of 15 goals being posted this season. Former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas believes Pulisic has been the standout performer for the Rossoneri, telling his podcast: “I feel like at the beginning of the year, we will have to go back and look, we were predicting what range of goals he would have and be involved with. We certainly might have underplayed and predicted what he would do. This is wonderful and he puts himself certainly in line, arguably, as the MVP for this AC Milan team going forward. This wasn’t a brilliant season for AC Milan, but this was a brilliant season for Christian Pulisic. He was healthy, he was consistent and productive, and it was pretty fun to see.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Pulisic has registered the most goals by a Milan midfielder since Brazilian World Cup winner Kaka in 2009, with Lalas adding on the impressive progress being made by the 25-year-old winger: “He’s found a place where he’s healthy and happy, and it’s great. We are seeing the best of Christian Pulisic. Everything early on was kind of framed as ‘hey, he’s just burst on the scene, he’s young and all that’. There were oohs and aahs, but to do it consistently… He’s not a grizzled veteran by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s also not this young, green kid anymore. It’s been fun to see him mature into the player that he is. Who knows, Serie A may have been the place to do that, to get the best out of Christian Pulisic. So, let’s hope we see more of that and he’s able to translate it into the national team this summer.”
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?
Pulisic has emerged as a talismanic leader for the United States, given the experience that he now boasts, and will be expected to shoulder the weight of expectation when going in search of Copa America glory on home soil – with that tournament set to get underway on June 20.