Christian Pulisic has found his true home at AC Millan

Stefano Pioli has long been an admirer of Pulisic, and jumped at the chance to bring him in when it became apparent that Chelsea were ready to sell. Lyon had also expressed firm interest in the American, but Pioli helped to convince him that San Siro was the right place for him to get his career back on track.

“Everything truly is special at AC Milan. You can breathe in the history, and you just want to come here," Pulisic said at his first press conference as a Milan player. "The initial talks started when I was away on international duty and, although it took a bit of time to get the agreement sorted, I made the decision to accept early on. I spoke to Pioli and got a real sense that he wanted to have me, and I’m grateful to him."

Pulisic went on to score four goals in his first eight Serie A outings for Milan, including a brilliant late winner against Genoa. The Rossoneri held onto the 1-0 victory despite having goalkeeper Mike Maignan sent off in stoppage-time, and Pioli revealed after the match that Pulisic had offered to go in goal before Giroud was chosen due to his superior height.

The USMNT talisman didn't take on that kind of responsibility at Chelsea. In fact, Pulisic was never able to translate his international form to club level with the Blues, but he's wasted no time in becoming one of the leaders in Pioli's Rossoneri squad.

Pulisic started out on the right wing for Milan, but switched over to the left when Rafael Leao picked up a serious hamstring injury in November, and has been deployed as a No.10 in more recent matches. His versatility has been invaluable to Pioli, who said after seeing him score another decisive goal against Sassuolo in Milan's final game of 2023: "Chris is a great player. He has quality, intensity and willingness. He's scoring a lot too, which isn't always easy for a winger. He can play in a number of roles. He is a great guy in the way he approaches and prepares for a game."

Crucially, Pioli's respect for Pulisic is reciprocated, which didn't always appear to be the case with his managers at Stamford Bridge. “He’s an excellent coach, as well as being a person of great depth," Pulisic said in October. "He encourages you to give your best without making concessions, but he’s also ready to cheer you up and help you when you make mistakes. I feel his trust and that’s fantastic. I’m really happy to have him as a coach.”