Christian Pulisic has officially started his new chapter at AC Milan. The U.S. men's national team player moved this summer from Chelsea for €22 million with the ambition to become a key player for the side coached by Stefano Pioli. Pulisic made his debut in the US pre-season tour and played as a starter in both clashes against Real Madrid and Juventus. AC Milan lost 3-2 to the Spanish giants in the second half after the Rossoneri were up 2-0 and then lost in penalties against the Italian rivals on Thursday.
🎥 Highlights 🎥@lukaromero_'s golazo and all the action from #RealMadridMilan 🇦🇷❤️#ACMTour #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/E1gI0FtQOU
— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 24, 2023
Despite the results, Pulisic is making a great impression so far among both his teammates and the fans. His attitude on and off the pitch was widely appreciated, and supporters could feel his desire to shine with his new club since he touched ground in Italy at the beginning of July. Pioli considered Pulisic the perfect addition to his squad, which last season suffered a lot when key player and winger Rafael Leao was not fit. The USMNT player can play in three different positions in the tactical system used by the Rossoneri -- he can play as a left winger, as a right winger in the 4-3-3 and potentially also as a number ten in the 4-2-3-1.
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That's what AC Milan needed -- a player that could play in different positions of the attacking line to provide quality and depth. Pulisic, in fact, played in two different positions in his first unofficial games of the season. Against Real Madrid, he started at left winger, while against Juventus he started on the right, with Leao playing on the left. It's easy to imagine that Pioli has in mind to play with Leao on the left and new signing Samuel Chukwueze on the right as starters in either the 4-2-3-1 or the 4-3-3, as he played in the first two games of the season. However, this shouldn't impact the role of Pulisic, who can become a crucial player, potentially off the bench, something that AC Milan definitely missed last season. But he can also be key as a starter when one between Leao and Chukwueze aren't available.
"His physical condition is improving, we've only been working for two weeks. He can play on the right, left or on the frontline, he's smart and has quality," Pioli said after the Juve match. "Can he play with Leao? They also swapped sides against Juventus. We have Leao on the left, Chukwueze on the right, Pulisic who can play very well everywhere."
🏟️ A thrilling match, with Thiaw and Giroud finding the net for the Rossoneri ⚽️
— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 28, 2023
Don't miss the #JuveMilan highlights 🎥#ACMTour #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/pcPtakipcU
In general, the first impressions of Pulisic are definitely positive. He's adapting fast and well, and the fans are perceiving his attitude as a good sign for the upcoming season. For sure, he needs to work hard to get a starting role in this renovated roster, but he will have his chances. Pioli considers him as the perfect player to overcome some of what lacks in the squad, either as a starter or as a player that can come out of the bench and decide a game.
Tactically speaking, Pioli will have to deal with the presence of much more offensive players like Leao, Chukwueze and Pulisic that support striker Olivier Giroud compared to past years. The question is: can they all play together? At the beginning of the season, probably not, but considering that the second lines didn't perform as the starting eleven players, this is definitely a big improvement for the club in any case, at least on paper.
Pulisic needed a place to shine, and AC Milan this season looks like the right place to be, despite the big changes that happened in the summer, including the farewell of former director and club legend Paolo Maldini. Time will tell us if this was the right move for him, but looking at the first weeks of his new chapter at AC Milan, it all seems to be going in the right direction.