German football club, Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that
Christian Pulisic will join Chelsea for €64m (£58m), with the United States
forward to be loaned back to the club until the end of the season.
The 20-year-old, who joined
Dortmund as a youth player in 2015 was linked with Liverpool and
Arsenal. He has made 80 appearances for Dortmund and 23 for the US.
Confirming the move to Chelsea, BVB’s sporting director,
Michael Zorc said: “It was always Christian’s dream to play in the Premier
League. That certainly has to do with his American background, and as a result
we were unable to extend his contract. Against this background, we have decided
to accept an extremely lucrative bid by Chelsea, given the low contract
maturity.
“Christian Pulisic is a character perfect player. I am sure
that in the coming months he will do everything in his power to bring his high
quality to the team and to achieve his sporting goals with his teammates at
Borussia Dortmund.”
Speaking to Chelsea’s website, Pulisic said it was “a
privilege to have signed for such a legendary club and I look forward to
working hard towards being a contributor to their team of world class players”.
He later added in a statement: “[I am] looking forward to
working with Maurizio Sarri and his technical team. But for the next six
months, it’s all BVB! Please do not doubt my passion, determination and my 110%
commitment to the tea, right until the last ball is kicked this season. We all
feel that this is ‘our year’ and we are determined to achieve the best possible
results in all competitions.”
The £58m fee for Pulisic is now the highest transfer fee for
an American player, beating the 20m euros Wolfsburg paid for John Brooks in
2017.
