‘It is tough’ – Christian Pulisic makes admission over Chelsea struggles amid exit rumours

Christian Pulisic has opened up on his struggles at Chelsea and admits he has gone through a ‘tough’ and ‘up and down’ spell at Stamford Bridge.

Pulisic became the most expensive American player in history when he completed a £58m move to Chelsea in the summer of 2019.

The former Borussia Dortmund winger enjoyed a promising first season in west London, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists, but has failed to match those numbers in the last two campaigns.

Pulisic has had a few spells out of the Chelsea team, with a range of injuries ruling him out of 38 games since his move from Germany, and is still battling to cement a place in the first team amid competition from the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz.

‘It is tough. I haven’t always been playing in the positions I want to play in,’ Pulisic told NBC Sports ahead of USA’s World Cup qualifying clash with Honduras next week.

‘But I think it is a good quality to be versatile and able to play in all kinds of positions and have different strengths on the pitch.

‘I’ve learned a lot and I’m ready to hopefully be in a spot over the next few games that I’m more comfortable in.’

Asked how his form for Chelsea impacts on his performances for USMNT, Pulisic added: ‘It doesn’t affect me too much coming in to US camps.

‘I am ready when I come in here and to do whatever I can to come to help this team so I’m not thinking about that.

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‘Obviously it has been up and down this year, for sure. Not exactly where I want to be and how I want things to be right now.