Jamie Carragher has told Christian Pulisic that he should follow Timo Werner’s lead and leave Chelsea in the January transfer window.
Chelsea sold Werner back to RB Leipzig in the summer for £25million, two years after they paid the German club £47.5m for his services. Werner has rediscovered his form back at Leipzig where he has eight goals and four assists in 14 appearances across all competitions.
By stark contrast, Pulisic has struggled for game time at Chelsea after staying put in the summer transfer window. The USA international has made just his third start of the season in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday night.
And while he picked up an assist in an impressive performance, his spot in the side is far from secure, with competition for places tough under manager Graham Potter. Pulisic joined the Blues in a £58m deal from Borussia Dortmund back in 2019 and is still waiting to make his big breakthrough.
Asked on CBS Sports if Pulisic should consider making a move like Werner, Carragher replied: “One hundred per cent. A lot of footballers are different. I do scratch my head when I see certain players at clubs for a long time and they never really get into the team.
“And that’s why I think Thierry [Henry] is saying he respects Timo Werner. Rather than just sitting on the bench another year or two he’s gone back to somewhere where he’s going to play week in, week out. And I just think Pulisic is sort of at that stage now where there’s been a few managerial changes.
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“It looks like he’s getting more of a chance with Potter, but not just him, I think Graham Potter is a manager who changes it every game so everyone is getting a chance. So he may feel like he’s getting more of an opportunity to prove to the manager he can be in that recognised 11.
“But he’s been there a few years now, it hasn’t quite happened for him for whatever reason, and maybe Dortmund is a level down from Chelsea, who are a team who are trying to win the Champions League – we know Pulisic was part of that win. But eventually you have to make that decision. I don’t think you can continue to be in that position that he’s been in for the last two or three years.”
Pulisic has contributed just one goal and two assists in 13 appearances so far this season, with the majority of his 375 minutes coming off the bench. Overall he has 26 goals and 21 assists in 128 games for the club over the past three years.
“I’ve never questioned Pulisic’s actual ability, some of the things I’ve seen him do, some of the goals I’ve seen him score,” Carragher added. “But it’s consistency and injuries. He’ll get a run in the team then get injured and it gives someone else an opportunity.
“He never seems to get a run in the team and I think it will be difficult for him [under Potter]. Maybe his time has come and gone. But we’re in the early stages of Graham Potter so who knows. Fingers crossed he can.”
