Mauricio Pochettino is still unsure who will be part of his Chelsea squad when he officially starts in the job on July 1. With the pre-season tour of America starting in just over one month, there is plenty of uncertainty in the air.
Although steps have been taken to make progress with outgoing transfers and decisions are being made to push forward potential incomings, the soft deadline of June 30 to account for early sales is fast approaching and nothing official is done. Other than loan exits for Joao Felix and Denis Zakaria, Chelsea are as they were.
Certain directions have been taken already with Mason Mount preparing for a move to Manchester United should he not agree to an extension while Mateo Kovacic is closing in on a move to the blue side of Manchester. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a settled AC Milan boardroom away from an Italian chapter to his career.
As of yet there is nothing concrete to suggest Pochettino will be working with a massively cut-down version of the 32-man squad (plus returning loanees) that he inherits. Central to all of this is the overflowing frontline of attacking stars seeking pastures new.
Hakim Ziyech has been angling for a move away since last summer, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not too far behind him despite only signing nine months ago. Kai Havertz is admired by Real Madrid hasn't found a consistent touch to prove his quality in England and Christian Pulisic was another close to leaving last year.
Now, the American is yet again set to return back to his club side after international matches for USMNT and a holiday with uncertainty clouding his next steps. "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 last week on duty for USA.
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"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."
He is almost certain to be moving away but the destination is far from clear. AC Milan have made him a priority signing, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, but their backroom reshuffle has delayed transfers so far.
The Italian side are seen as a viable option due to their Champions League offering, young squad and ambitious plans. Unlike Chelsea, they can make Pulisic a star for the team in a role that he is not only comfortable with but happy to play.
It has been a feature of his final two seasons in London that being shunted around for other, more expensive and high-profile players. Thomas Tuchel used him as a wing-back on ocassion and inside the field as a No10, rarely was he given the chance to start in his favoured left wing spot.
Graham Potter also went with a wing-back approach and limited his time further forward. By the time Frank Lampard came in with a two-winger system it was too late and Pulsic's confidence and form had dropped beyond repair. He is not the only one to suffer from mismanagement, over-rotation and mass-tweaking at the club since 2019.
Milan could offer something new. As well as a fresh start they are looking for a player to build their attack around centrally. It is said that one of Stefano Pioli's options, namely Junior Messias or Alexis Saelemaekers, will leave this summer with Pulisic the target to come in and replace them.
Both players are capable of coming in from the wide areas of operating centrally, overlapping nicely with Pulisic's high-volume dibbling skillset. For $24 million (£20m) he is a cheap option considering his experience and vast breadth of time across Europe's different leagues.
He is also said to be willing to take a pay-cut in order to help generate a transfer, a decision that suits all parties.
Unlike at SW6, where there is uncerainty and change around every corner, a mad journey that is taking Pulisic for a ride, Milan and San Siro could offer just the balance and opportunity he is looking for.
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