3 reasons why Chelsea should not sign Christian Pulisic
Transfer speculation surrounding Christian Pulisic's long-term future has been a feature for a few seasons now, ever since he broke through at Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
It seemed inevitable that at some stage, he'd make a move to the Premier League - with the player himself revealing that he's anticipating a move to England's top-flight at some stage in his professional career.
The question has always been about which team he'd join - Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, one of the Manchester clubs, perhaps developing under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham or becoming another talented youngster across the road with north London rivals Arsenal.
According to recent reports, Chelsea are frontrunners for the American's signature. He's a highly-talented winger and would improve the squad's overall attacking quality upon arrival, but here are three reasons why the Blues should not sign Pulisic - even if it's a tempting proposition.
#3 If he must leave Dortmund, it shouldn't be for Chelsea
With his existing contract set to expire in the summer of 2020, it's nearing decision time for Pulisic. Playing a part in a high-flying Dortmund side who have surpassed expectations so far this term, does he bide his time or angle for a move abroad - a fresh start in another of Europe's top five leagues? After all, he only turned 20 in September.
His preferred role on the right-hand side is being occupied by Jadon Sancho, whose emergence isn't a surprise to me, but has been to those who were unaware of him prior to his switch last summer.
With that in mind, it'll be interesting to see if Pulisic can usurp Jacob Bruun Larsen in the pecking order down the flanks and operate from the opposite side - something he's capable of doing. He's versatile enough to play in the number ten role too, but as that is predominantly where captain Marco Reus has started this season, it's difficult to see an immediate starting berth for him at present.
With all of that in mind, the last thing he should do is decide to join Chelsea. The Blues find themselves in a delicate transition period of their own, under new management in Maurizio Sarri - who has suffered his first bump in the road as manager over the past fortnight.
An increasingly-demanding side who expect nothing less than the best from their players, it's not exactly the ideal environment for Pulisic right now - not least with the lack of regular starts he's made this season. Although he'd be arguably training among better players and learning a new system, it could ultimately damage his progression.
I'm not saying he should leave them either! However, you have to ask yourself the question: Which top sides could he join that he'd start for on a weekly basis? Some Serie A and La Liga sides - all of whom compete in the Champions League - spring to mind. Atletico Madrid and Napoli are among those who would potentially be interested, but again there's no guarantee he'd start there every week either. Even still, it beats Chelsea, which links to the second reason...