Olivier Giroud has left the door open for Christian Pulisic to join AC Milan in the summer. The 24-year-old faces an increasingly uncertain future at Chelsea, with the club preparing to trim down a bloated squad.
Pulisic, who sees his contract at Stamford Bridge expire next year, has featured just 21 times for the Blues in the Premier League this season, directly contributing towards just two goals. While the United States international has displayed glimpses of great potential, he's struggled to nail down a place in the starting lineup under several managers.
The winger's chances of forcing himself into the next Chelsea boss' plans look slim too, with Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke expected to be preferred. Despite Pulisic's misfortunes in west London, Giroud has leapt to the American's defence and compared him to Eden Hazard.
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Giroud enjoyed a fantastic relationship with the Belgian at Chelsea and the pair often combined to score some of the club's most iconic goals. In an interview with Morning Footy, as quoted by Goal, the France international said: "[Pulisic] was a happy boy, always good vibes, smiling.
"It was easy to have a laugh with him. My understanding on the pitch with him was top, a bit like Eden [Hazard], even if I played less with Christian. He's that kind of player who is very skilful.
"He can dribble, play the one-two. He knew how to use me on the pitch and vice versa. We had good times together and I hope he can get rid of the injuries, get better and get more consistency and more games because he's a very, very talented player."
Then, when asked if Pulisic would be a good fit at AC Milan, Giroud was open to the idea. He replied: "I think people here would love it. It's definitely a big name in Europe, so he would help us."
Speaking to Goal, Joe Cole explained the sheer extent of the challenge Todd Boehly faces in the summer transfer window as he looks to trim down the Chelsea squad. The former Blues midfielder said: "The owners have come in and they've got great ambition.
"They put in a lot of money. They put their money where their mouth is. They've tried to spark it and it's a difficult time for the club. The club's going through transition, change of owners, changes of managers, playing staff, backroom staff, everything's changed.
"So I think I feel like the next stage, it needs to be calmer. I would imagine there'll be fewer players coming in, more players leaving and taking their journey elsewhere, but there's no doubt the owners have great ambitions.
"We understand we're in a period where there's this transition. This summer is going to be crucial and every decision has to be made very deliberately, very measured, and make sure it helps the team overall compete on the pitch because we're a while away from being able to compete with Manchester City at the moment. They're a phenomenal team, and that's the standard where Chelsea needs to be."
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