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Former England international Glen Johnson has claimed that Chelsea are unlikely to take the risk of loaning Christian Pulisic out to Manchester United. Johnson, who played for the Blues between 2003 and 2007, insisted that the Pensioners would be wary of the possibility of Pulisic bouncing back and giving United’s campaign a boost.
USA international Pulisic has struggled to get into Chelsea’s lineup in the 2022-23 campaign. The former Borussia Dortmund man has featured in 13 Premier League games for Graham Potter’s side, starting only thrice. He has also failed to make the most of the opportunities that have fallen his way, scoring only once in 19 games across competitions.
It has been claimed that Chelsea are contemplating loaning the player out in January. A few Premier League clubs have already been linked, including Newcastle United and Manchester United.
Speaking to GGRecon, Johnson talked about Pulisic’s potential loan transfer, insisting that the Pensioners are unlikely to send him to Manchester United. He said:
“I can't imagine Chelsea would let him move to Manchester United. He could end up bouncing back and really help them out, so I suppose the only reason you'd let him out on loan is to get his value up and then sell him.
“That's the only reason why he'd go on loan at this stage, and I'd be very shocked if he goes to Manchester United. If he went to Newcastle, then that would be less of a risk, because even though they've been performing out of their skin so far, I'm not sure if they can do that from when the Premier League returns, up until the end of the season.”
Having acquired 26 points from 14 games, Manchester United find themselves in fifth place in the Premier League rankings. Graham Potter’s side sit three places below them in eighth after picking up 21 points from 14 matches.
Chelsea could target Portuguese pair in light of Armando Broja’s injury
The Blues’ 21-year-old striker Armando Broja suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee during Sunday’s (11 December) 1-0 friendly defeat to Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi. The forward is set to undergo surgery and is expected to take the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign to recover from it.
With Broja out, Chelsea are expected to shop for a forward in the January transfer window. The Evening Standard has linked the club with two Portuguese forwards. Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix has been mentioned, with the report claiming that he could join the Blues on loan with a purchase option.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has also been linked. The 37-year-old superstar has been a free agent since mutually agreeing to terminate his Manchester United contract in November and could join the Stamford Bridge outfit, hassle-free, in January.
