Christian Pulisic's hopes of securing another Premier League transfer this summer have been dealt a major blow as one of the key players linked with a move for the player have made their intentions clear.
Having opened up on his worst senior season as an established player while on international duty with USA, it has now emerged that one of the teams thought to be in the race to sign him are no-longer in the frame. With AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli all interested, Aston Villa have also been offered as a potential destination.
It was Newcastle, however, that offered one of the most realistic options for Pulisic. Due to their financial strength, Champions League offering and ability to make him one of their stars as well as a change in club, atmosphere and location, Eddie Howe's men appear to make sense on the face of it.
However, according to The Athletic, after enquiring about taking him on loan last summer, there is no such interest at play this year. With Manchester United also mooted as a potential new club for Pulisic 12 months ago, they are also looking elsewhere.
With teams outside of England being unable to match the monetary demands and firepower of the Premier League, the Magpies made for an intriguing option for the 24-year-old. With ambitions to play at the highest level possible there are still remaining clubs to move to but others may well recquire a large pay-cut.
It is also not out of the equation that the player is used as part of a swap deal. It was one of the many rouses used by Todd Boehly in his interim sporting director position last summer in an attempt to lower the cash cost of transfers. Pulisic was offered as part of deals to sign Rafael Leao and Matthijs de Ligt.
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Pulling those deals off is often easier said than done, however, with multiple conflicts of interest at play. Such is the need to get rid of Pulisic and for a parting of the ways to happen sooner rather than later for the benefit of everyone, it is said that as little as £20m ($24m) will be enough to secure his signature.
The USMNT star isn't letting uncertainty effect him for now, though. "I don't keep any social media on my phone anymore so I probably don't see as much as you guys think I do. I don't know what's going on," he said while away with his country.
"People will text me sometimes and be like, 'you're going here?' And I'll be like, 'I didn't even know that.' So, they know more than me most of the time."
The collapse in Newcastle's interest will also come as a blow for former USA keeper Shaka Hislop. “I think he’d get the management he needs at Newcastle United,” he told ESPN. “Listen, if Newcastle come in for Christian Pulisic, if I have anything to do with advising him, I’m telling him take it.
"Let’s remember Christian Pulisic has struggled to establish himself in a team that just finished 12th in the league. And given his stop-start and inconsistencies in English football – even dating back to his latter Dortmund days – right now, to get a team finishing in the top-four, top-half of the Premier League, I can’t think of any other.
“The reason I say he’ll get the management he needs is because I look at what Eddie Howe has done with Almiron. If you look at the wide players at Newcastle, we’re talking Willock or Murphy, Eddie Howe likes utilising that pace.
"I would have him. I think he fits how Eddie Howe likes to play. He does not bring the kind of ego and will allow himself to be coached, to learn under Eddie Howe. And just as Almiron did, I think he has a significant role to play.”
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