Christian Pulisic was a failure at Stamford Bridge. The USMNT star spent four years at Chelsea after a $74 million (£58m) switch from Borussia Dortmund, but only scored 26 goals, and was one of the team's worst performers throughout a dismal 2022-23 season that saw them finish in the bottom half of the Premier League.
Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were all unable to get the best out of Pulisic, who struggled mentally with the weight of expectation in west London and broke down physically under the rigorous demands of English football. The versatile forward did have his moments in the famous blue shirt, most notably playing a key role in the club's unlikely run to glory in the 2020-21 Champions League, but he was never able to deliver the goods on a consistent basis.
AC Milan offered Pulisic a clean slate in the summer, though, and he has made the most of it. Reuniting with former Chelsea team-mates Olivier Giroud, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fikayo Tomori has helped Pulisic settle into his new surroundings quickly, while the Rossoneri also managed to sign one of his international colleagues in the form of Yunus Musah.
Pulisic looked like a man completely drained of confidence by the end of his time at Chelsea, but San Siro has proven to be the perfect place for him to replenish his stocks. The 25-year-old has recorded 12 goal contributions in his first 23 outings for Milan, one shy of his best-season total with the Blues, and he's playing with a smile on his face again.
With the 2024 Copa America now looming large on the horizon, Pulisic appears to be hitting his peak. And if he can keep it up in the second half of the season, the USMNT may just emerge as dark horses to challenge Lionel Messi and Argentina for their crown...