Christian Pulisic Is Stuck At Chelsea With Transfer Window Closing

Christian Pulisic won't be leaving Chelsea this transfer window. The Blues won't loan the American winger out despite his wish to find more playing time. Several teams were reportedly interested in adding the 23-year-old, including Champions League clubs in Spain and Italy — but Chelsea refused to give him permission to seek a loan deal. It appears Pulisic will be glued to the club's bench for the foreseeable future, which is terrible news for the United States men's national soccer team and its superstar.

Pulisic has only played 76 minutes in four Premier League matches this season. It appears he's out of favor with manager Thomas Tuchel and it may be a long road back. Pulisic is buried while Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount are all firmly above him on the depth chart. Despite statistically playing well during his time at the club, Tuchel appears done with the American.

From the Athletic's article about the situation:

Pulisic has 25 goals and 13 assists in 6,995 minutes across all competitions for Chelsea (0.49 G+A/90) over the past three-plus seasons, including 19 goals and eight assists in Premier League play. He has yet to convince Tuchel, however, that he can be a regular starter in this system.

With the 2022 World Cup on the horizon, Pulisic wants regular playing time. And, frankly, the USMNT needs him to get regular playing time. Now he'll have to find a way to do it in his current situation.

Given that Chelsea has scored five goals in four Premier League matches, maybe Tuchel needs to change his standard front line of Sterling, Mount and Havertz. If not, there's no reason to keep Pulisic around and stapled to the bench.

There are a few days left before the transfer window closes on September 2. It's apparent Pulisic is stuck in a situation at Chelsea he wants out of. If things don't improve, it'll be imperative for him to find a way out during the January transfer window. For now, he needs to squeak out as much playing time as possible before the USMNT gets to Qatar.