– By Onyekachi Osondu, ABH Press
Chelsea have signed Borussia Dortmund forward Christian Pulisic for 64m euros (£58m), but will loan him back to the German club until the end of the season. It is the highest transfer fee for an American player, beating the 20m euros Wolfsburg paid for John Brooks in 2017.
The 20-year-old United States international, who was linked with Liverpool and Arsenal, joined Dortmund as a youth player in 2015. Pulisic has scored nine goals in 23 games for the US.
“It’s a privilege to have signed for such a ‘legendary’ club,” he said.
Dortmund 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.”
Pulisic’s contract at Dortmund was due to expire in June 2020.
In an emotional statement on Twitter Pulisic said he will leave Dortmund with a “heavy heart.
Pulisic made his Bundesliga debut, aged 17, in January 2016, and two months later won his first USA cap. He has played 81 games in the German top flight and 20 in the Champions League.
He has scored just three goals in 18 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund this season which causes some to worry about the cost of the transfer but doesnt change the fact that he is an excellent talent.
His is the third highest fee paid for a Bundesliga player, after Ousmane Dembele’s £135m move from Dortmund to Barcelona in 2017 and Manchester City’s £55m deal for Kevin de Bruyne from Wolfsburg in 2015.