Chelsea ‘ready to’ bid £70m for Pulisic to arrange summer transfer — report

Chelsea’s reported pursuit of Christian Pulisic is set to take its next logical step, following recent confirmations from the player and his current club Borrusia Dortmund that something may be afoot in the summer transfer window. Just like Chelsea’s situation with Eden Hazard, no movement is expected in January, but what happens after the season is very much up for discussion, negotiation, consideration ... starting now-ish.

So, here comes the Mirror’s John Cross to claim that Chelsea are “ready to do a £70m deal” — whatever that means — for the 20-year-old USA international, apparently paying the full asking price because of the not unreasonable threat of a potential transfer ban, not to mention trying to beat any other rivals to the kid’s signature.

Surprisingly, the Pulisic narrative has not yet really stitched the Hazard exit angle into the main plot thread, but the Mirror does lay the groundwork for it as an added bonus. Surely, that variation will only grow in popularity as Hazard delays and delays his decision whether to ensure his Chelsea legend or become just another footnote in Real Madrid history.

UPDATE: The Telegraph’s Matt Law joins in. How do you say “it’s happening” in American?

In any case, if we want Pulisic — which obviously I personally very much hope we do, even if he’s fallen behind the even younger Jadon Sancho and Jacob Bruun Larsen in BVB’s depth chart — arranging his transfer well in advance of the summer is the ideal way to go about it, so let’s get it done.