Following a turbulent start to the new season, Graham Potter’s arrival has reinstilled the feel-good factor back at Chelsea. It’s probably no exaggeration to describe the situation as a new beginning. After all, Tuchel’s sacking and the change of ownership closed a chapter filled with incredible success, which fans will hold onto forever.
However, there remains one particular player who will likely be keen on opening a new chapter of his own after enduring a difficult few years at Stamford Bridge. Christian Pulisic’s time in West London has been overshadowed by a number of injury setbacks and a lack of game time, with the latter remaining a problem for the winger this season.
Pulisic has started just two of the Blues’ opening nine games, coming off the bench six times and not featuring at all against Aston Villa on Sunday. It’s a similar situation in the Champions League for the American, who was on the bench for the entirety of both AC Milan fixtures.
READ MORE: Christian Pulisic could not avoid Chelsea 'circus' as World Cup prompts transfer solution
Finding game time hard to come by is a frustration for any player, but for Pulisic, it’s made even harder with the World Cup just around the corner. The USA captain will be leading his team out in Qatar as they take on England, Wales and Iran, but a lack of minutes running up to November will undoubtedly be on his mind.
The 24-year-old’s situation has left many with the impression that his future lies elsewhere, a thought that has even crossed the mind of USMNT legend Eric Wynalda. Speaking to Vegas Insider, Wynalda claimed Pulisic should leave Chelsea in order to find more opportunities, naming Newcastle as an ideal destination.
“He’s going to be on the end of a lot of quality if he stays at Chelsea. He’s just not going to get the minutes that would equate to big numbers,” Wynalda said. “I think if he ends up making a move in January, after the World Cup, I am starting to lean more and more towards the direction of Newcastle.
“Things that I am hearing about the money they are going to splash is interesting. I don’t think Leeds, for example, would be a good spot for him. That’s not a team that is going to score a ton of goals,” he added.
Furthermore, it’s not just the lack of game time that Pulisic will be hoping to see improvements on in the weeks ahead. In a Q&A session with GQ Sports, the forward revealed that he’s not a fan of his “Captain America” nickname when asked what his favourite was.
“I don't know if I like any of those,” he replied. “I’m pretty much used to Captain America at this point. It’s funny because there are also other Captain Americas to me, so that’s fine, but I think we need a little bit more work on a good nickname for sure.”
If he plays more games, whether that’s through a transfer or not, and gets a nickname that matches his requirements, then maybe Pulisic will end up opening a new chapter of his own after all.
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