The U.S. national team winger has been challenged this season, but his new manager is pleased with his attitude
New U.S. national team boss Gregg Berhalter says he’s not worried about Christian Pulisic’s situation at Borussia Dortmund as transfer rumours continue to swirl.
Pulisic has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs throughout the past several years with Chelsea now appearing to be the front-runner in the race for the winger.
But as talk of a big-money move has gotten louder, playing time with Dortmund has become harder to come by for the 20-year-old.
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Pulisic has been pushed by the likes of Jadon Sancho and, as a result, the American has started just five Bundesliga matches this season.
Berhalter, who is traveling Europe this week to meet with a number of his top players, isn’t concerned as he sees the competition as a healthy one for his star player.
“When you’re at that level and you’re playing for such a talented squad, things like this are normal,” Berhalter told reporters on Tuesday.
“He’s patient. He’s hungry, but patient.”
“Again, speaking to him and knowing his attitude, it’s a fantastic attitude based on ‘what can I improve to get on the field more?’. That’s the way he’s looking at it.”
Berhalter cited Pulisic as one of the bright spots of the USMNT’s final string of friendlies under Dave Sarachan; defeats to both Italy and England where the team was largely outclassed.
The former Columbus Crew manager said Pulisic’s quality was on display against England in particular, even if the U.S. struggled to make the match much of a competition.
Pulisic is just one of several young USMNT stars competing at a high level currently with players like Weston McKennie, Haji Wright and Josh Sargent also plying their trade in Germany.
The likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Timothy Weah, DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks also remain key pieces currently making their way in Europe, with Tyler Adams and Zack Steffen are set to join them soon.
As a player that played both in Europe and in MLS, Berhalter understands the challenges facing players both abroad and at home, and says it will be key to strike a balance while finding the players that fit the team best, regardless of where they play.
“What I like to say is that we’re always going to be a diverse group of players,” Berhalter said. “We’re going to have players playing in Mexico, players in MLS, in Europe.
“We want guys getting challenged at these levels that they’re at. For every player, its a different case.
“I love when I see our guys competing in the Champions League. It’s a big level, big games, and I think that helps us moving forward.”