ESPN journalist James Olley has insisted that Newcastle United are now in talks to sign transfer target Christian Pulisic on a permanent deal.
The Magpies were heavily linked with a move for Pulisic over the summer as the winger wished to get some game time in preparation for the World Cup, but Chelsea ended up blocking any potential deal.
However, even with the World Cup having come and gone for the American, Pulisic is still keen to leave Chelsea and get regular first-team minutes – and Newcastle are being credited with a renewed interest in the winger, this time on a permanent basis.
Olley has revealed that the Magpies are looking to secure a permanent deal for the USA international while speaking on ESPN UK.
He said: “He’s open, my understanding is, to moving to another club in England. I think Manchester United and possibly Arsenal have been approached about maybe taking him on loan.
“I think Newcastle are talking about maybe looking at a permanent deal; I think Chelsea would probably prefer that, to get him off the books altogether and maybe the player would like that to just sort of have a clean break and really start and go again.
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“I think the key thing for him is to just start playing football again, he needs to play regularly, he hasn’t done that, and even when he’s got games at Chelsea, he’s been played in a variety of positions – under Thomas Tuchel, he was shunted out as a wing-back, he was playing as a false nine, he was playing as a 10, he was playing in all these different positions.”
TIF Thoughts on interest in Pulisic…
It’s safe to say that the attacker has been on fire at the World Cup, having been described as a ‘man possessed’.
It would be a statement of intent from Newcastle to bring in Pulisic, who is valued at £51.5m (CIES), on a permanent basis given his experience in the Premier League and Champions League, as well as having won four pieces of silverware during his career.
However, given that the Magpies are reportedly not looking to go crazy in January, any deal would have to be on their terms, which won’t likely be what Chelsea want to hear, so it could be a deal that is more likely explored over the summer.
Also, the wing positions are an area that Eddie Howe may not be too worried about given the form of Miguel Almiron, as well as the fact that Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak are set to return before the turn of the year, so Pulisic won’t even likely be a priority signing.