Frank Leboeuf has tipped Christian Pulisic to leave after the American star’s dad criticised his lack of game-time and suggested he could move away from Stamford Bridge.
Pulisic has endured a turbulent spell at west London since his £58m move from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, helping Chelsea win the but struggling to cement a place in the team.
The 23-year-old has started just 10 of Chelsea’s 34 Premier League games this season and was named on ’s bench again on Sunday for the 1-0 defeat at .
Following the match – in which Pulisic came on for the final 20 minutes – the USA star’s dad criticised his son’s lack of minutes at Stamford Bridge and hinted he could leave Chelsea.
In a since-deleted tweet, Mark Pulisic said: ‘The sad thing is he [Pulisic] loves this club, teammates, and London.… puts his heart and soul into being a pro. Onwards and upwards my boy… big 6 months ahead…’
Cameo appearances have been a common theme in Pulisic’s three-season spell at Chelsea, with former Blues boss Frank Lampard also often choosing to use the American from the bench.
Asked if he thinks Pulisic could end up leaving Chelsea this summer, ex-Blues defender Leboeuf told : ‘Yeah, it’s possible. In don’t know if it’s sad or not.
‘He never seems to be essential to any of the coaches, whether at Borussia Dortmund or Chelsea.
‘I think he has the pressure of a country behind him ahead of a World Cup because he’s the [USA] captain. But in Europe we don’t seem him as a real leader or the guy who’s going to save Chelsea.
‘It is what it is. He still has the time to be stronger but if he thinks it’s unfair then yeah, he should leave Chelsea. Or fight for your spot because the frontline has been a mess for more than a year.’
Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley added: ‘It seems there’s a frustration that he’s not getting regular game-time, the game-time that they would want with a World Cup coming up.
‘He will want to be playing regularly ahead of that World Cup but in his last few months at Dortmund he wasn’t playing regularly. Frank Lampard didn’t play him regularly. And now we have Tuchel who has played him, but not regularly.
‘It’s no coincidence that at least three of his coaches have had him in and out of the team. When that happens you need to look at yourself.
‘The coach thinks he’s got better players. Tuchel isn’t leaving him out because they think Pulisic is worse. It’s based on the opponent that day and the system.
‘That’s a decision a manager has to make and if you’re a family member, you have to accept that. This is not kindergarten or school football. This is a job and manager’s make big decisions.’
Chelsea’s inconsistent form continued at Goodison Park as Frank Lampard’s Everton secured a crucial win to boost their chances of avoiding relegation.
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