USMNT: Cynic in me hates Christian Pulisic Chelsea move

Christian Pulisic transferred to Chelsea this January and will join up with them in the summer. The cynic in me hates this move for the USMNT star’s career.

Manchester United did not sign Park Ji-Sung for purely footballing reasons. Shinji Kagawa was also not at Old Trafford solely because of what he could deliver between the white lines. The same could be said for Park Chu-Young at Arsenal.

While all these players offered varying degrees of utility to their respective teams and eras, their signings were not exclusively based on their ability. The modern football world is as much a business one as it is a sporting one, and these acquisitions had as much to do about business as they did football.

Man. Utd are subsequently the most popular team in East Asia, Korea and Japan specifically. Arsenal, similarly, are well-liked among African communities, with the likes of Kanu, Patrick Vieira, Alex Song and now Alex Iwobi, Mohamed Elneny and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all heralding from Africa.

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Not all transfers are made with a business angle. And I believe that very few are solely because of the commercial boost their arrival brings. The player must be of a minimum standard, no matter the size of the market he may allow his prospective club to tap into. But it would be naive to think that all decisions in football are not tainted by business somewhat. And clubs’ work in the transfer market is no difference.

This January, Chelsea signed U.S. Men’s National Team star Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund in a $73.1 million deal. Much has been made of the deal, which was announced almost three weeks ago and includes a six-month loan back to Dortmund for the remainder of the year, but it is clear that for Pulisic this is a chance to further his career and shine on the biggest stage in world football, the Premier League. For the USMNT, that is no bad thing.

But the cynic in me says that Chelsea are not purely signing Pulisic for footballing reasons. First and foremost, in Callum Hudson-Odoi, they have a young, vibrant, attacking winger with great potential. Why sign another one with him already in the waiting in the wings? But more than that, there is plenty that fits, on the business side of things, that perhaps, reading between the lines a little, hint at Chelsea’s true intentions.

Firstly, the sport in the U.S. is booming, with the Premier League largely leading the way. Liverpool are already popular, as are the other big names like Man. Utd, Manchester City, in part thanks to New York City FC, and Arsenal, owned by American and Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke. Chelsea may want a piece of a growing market and they see Pulisic as a way in. As Arsene Wenger said in the summer, football fandom is shifting from clubs to players. People support teams because of the players that play for them.

Secondly, Chelsea’s kit is manufactured by Nike. Pulisic has a strong connection with Nike. I am sure you can see where I am going here. Such is the global following of football and the growing market in America, this is a relationship, for Pulisic, Chelsea and Nike, that could be extremely lucrative.

Please don’t misunderstand me. The Pulisic move to Chelsea is one that could further his career. He is testing himself in the Premier League; he has the chance to make himself a world star. But the cynic in me believes that this is driven by business, not football, and that could lead to stagnation and regression.