Serie A giants leading the race to sign Chelsea star Christian Pulisic - Reports
Juventus are reportedly in pole position to sign Chelsea attacker Christian Pulisic this summer.
According to ESPN, the Blues are prepared to part with Pulisic, 24, and are asking for a free of around £20 million. Mauricio Pochettino's appointment at Stamford Bridge will not make a difference in the club's intent to offload the American.
Pulisic has a year left on his contract with Chelsea but has become surplus to requirements in west London. He started just 10 of 30 games across competitions, scoring one goal and providing two assists.
Manchester United, Newcastle United, Napoli, AC Milan and Galatasaray have all been alerted to Pulisic's availability. However, it is Juventus who are the frontrunners although they are not willing to match the £13 million yearly salary he earns with the Blues.
The Old Lady will be looking to bolster their attacking options at the Allianz Stadium. Angel Di Maria and Juan Cuadrado are both leaving the club when their contracts expire this summer.
Massimiliano Allegri's side missed out on Champions League football after being hit by a 10-point deduction. They finished the Serie A campaign in seventh place and they will be keen to strengthen their squad for the next season.
Pulisic's time at Chelsea has been a disappointing one, having arrived as one of Europe's most exciting forwards. He joined the west Londoners from Borussia Dortmund for £57.6 million in 2019 and was viewed as Eden Hazard's replacement.
However, he has lacked form and fitness issues have taken their toll. The American has made 145 appearances, scoring 26 goals and contributing 21 assists.
Chelsea's Noni Madueke is excited to work under new manager Mauricio Pochettino
One Chelsea player who will almost certainly be staying at the club this summer is Noni Madueke. The young English winger joined the Blues from PSV Eindhoven in January. He has been one of the west Londoners' better signings under their new ownership. He has featured 12 times across competitions, scoring one goal.
Madueke will be playing under his fourth coach at Stamford Bridge when Pochettino takes charge next season. The winger is looking forward to the Argentine's arrival and has hailed his appointment. He told Sky Sports:
“I think he is a good manager. He has been in big places around the world and he was a great success in the Premier League. I am looking forward to working with and learning from him.”
Pochettino has been at PSG, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton previously. He guided the Parisians to the Ligue 1 title last season before being sacked. The Argentine also led Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final but suffered a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.