General LFC Transfer rumours/gossip thread

Could have sworn I saw something earlier that said he was close to us for about 40mill.

Yes some really conflicting reports on this, looks almost certain though that he's going or at least signing a pre-agreement in January.

Pulisic ..... reports are that we are beating The Arse to his signature. Sure the press make it up as they go along.

More than one report that Solanke could be going to Palace on loan for the rest of the season.

They just don't know which way it's going with Pulisic. Think it would be a shame to lose him to Chelsea, he could be a big part of our brand in the USA. I'm sure FSG know this.

Of course – he's good enough. Direct, sharp, quick, decisive. Just the player we're missing IMO.

having see how Jürgen likes to ease players in over a period of time a Jan signing doesn't seem to make much sense does it and with Ox possibly back in Mid Feb it would have to be  a very special player to come in and add something to the best squad in a generation

Phew... 😎

Seriously, I don’t see the hype.

Kids 20, he’s going to be very, very good. It’s not because he’s American, it’s because he’s a really good player that’s been brought up right at Dortmund.

Pulisic ..... reports are that we are beating The Arse to his signature. Sure the press make it up as they go along.

More than one report that Solanke could be going to Palace on loan for the rest of the season.

Course they do.

My lad tells me it's called clickbait, to increase advertising revenue.

Maybe 5% of what is written will have some truth in it.
It's exactly the same as slinging sh*t at a wall and hoping some of it sticks.

Kids 20, he’s going to be very, very good. It’s not because he’s American, it’s because he’s a really good player that’s been brought up right at Dortmund.

I think he is gonna be a very good player.

I’m just not convinced he’s anywhere near good enough to be an option here anytime soon.

The bar is high now.

I think he is gonna be a very good player.

I’m just not convinced he’s anywhere near good enough to be an option here anytime soon.

The bar is high now.

Yea I think he’d have a hard time getting regular time here. But for him to think that will be any easier at Chelsea....not too sure about that.

Multiple sources confirming Pulisic to Chelsea in a 50 mill Euro summer transfer.

I never viewed LFC as a legitimate bidder for Pulisic. LFC splashed big $$$ and rebuilt their midfield last summer and the team should be getting a healthy Ox back later this year.......essentially bolstering the current ranks at no cost. Does Liverpool have so much expendable cash to pay top dollar for "promise" to bolster an already crowded group?
I looked at the Origi splash a few years ago as essentially a future annuity that might payout one day. Pulisic has the same feel at 5 times the cost.
I think the kid will be very solid one day but paying 50 mill for unproven is a reach.
Look at LFC's recent buys....all with considerable experience and demonstrated success at former clubs. Allison, VvD, Salah, Keita, Fabinho, Mane, Firmino.
Pulisic's limited path does not fit LFC's usual template.

Multiple sources confirming Pulisic to Chelsea in a 50 mill Euro summer transfer.

I never viewed LFC as a legitimate bidder for Pulisic. LFC splashed big $$$ and rebuilt their midfield last summer and the team should be getting a healthy Ox back later this year.......essentially bolstering the current ranks at no cost. Does Liverpool have so much expendable cash to pay top dollar for "promise" to bolster an already crowded group?
I looked at the Origi splash a few years ago as essentially a future annuity that might payout one day. Pulisic has the same feel at 5 times the cost.
I think the kid will be very solid one day but paying 50 mill for unproven is a reach.
Look at LFC's recent buys....all with considerable experience and demonstrated success at former clubs. Allison, VvD, Salah, Keita, Fabinho, Mane, Firmino.
Pulisic's limited path does not fit LFC's usual template.

what sources?

https://twitter.com/JackSear/status/1079046536313692160

https://twitter.com/JackSear/status/1079046536313692160

Honigstein is reliable, isn't he? But a lot can change in 6 months tbh.

https://twitter.com/JackSear/status/1079046536313692160

Oh well - just suggests that the club don’t want him so they move on to the targets they actually want

I don't want Pulisic. He's just 20 and won't be a key player for 1-2 years. We have Harry Wilson, give our kids a chance. I still go for Fekir, this dude is wayyy better than Pulisic and I am proud that it's in fact a rumour (that we are re-interested). Fekir has shown the last month that his knee holds, if Lyon is willing to structure a fair deal that takes the risk into account I'd go for him. Of course one also gotta consider the risk of destroying the team chemistry, but Jürgen has to think progressively and not just in now-mode. So Jürgen, go and grab Fekir, the German Panzer is with you here!!!

Rib is available for a modest fee in these days of multi million pound deals £1.50 including his bus fare.
I just cant see anyone coming here regardless of cost the team is balanced and settled no need to tweak it

So Pulisic to Chelsea is a done deal it appears, however it means Hazard is now a certainty to leave in the Summer, meaning Chelsea will be weaker next season.

Rib is available for a modest fee in these days of multi million pound deals £1.50 including his bus fare.
I just cant see anyone coming here regardless of cost the team is balanced and settled no need to tweak it

Yup, what Klopp said makes sense and he probably meant it too. Unless somebody gets injured then I don't see the point in buying at the moment.

Never been a fan of the winter window. Most of the time teams actually spend big bucks, the results people had imagined from adding the player is never on par with what happens on the pitch. You need to factor in an adaptation period that includes adapting to the team, the tactics, the coach, the city and if its a player from abroad, then you also have to factor in time for adaptation to the league itself.

We will sit this one out unless we get a couple of injuries. And even if this happens I predict it's going to be transfers from within the league and we will be probably paying double the price.

So Pulisic to Chelsea is a done deal it appears, however it means Hazard is now a certainty to leave in the Summer, meaning Chelsea will be weaker next season.

Yep, looks like he is joining Chelsea according to his mate, Eddie Johnson (American footballer & friend). He announced it on his instagram..... unless he is trolling.

Yup, what Klopp said makes sense and he probably meant it too. Unless somebody gets injured then I don't see the point in buying at the moment.

Never been a fan of the winter window. Most of the time teams actually spend big bucks, the results people had imagined from adding the player is never on par with what happens on the pitch.

So true. Suarez, Sturridge, Coutinho, VVD, Agger - the winter window has not been our friend

I’ll put out a left field shout for the summer - Mitrovic at Fulham. I’ve never heard Klopp as complementary about a player as he was with him after we played Fulham earlier in the season. With Sturridge and probably Origi going we’ll be in for a striker and he looks a right handful from what I’ve seen of him

I can confirm Dybala is joining us in the summer!

Will be a shame to see Pulisic go to the Chavs, don’t see why he would view that as a good step in his career. Hazard is likely off in the summer and most of the team are getting on a bit now or just generally not very good.

They will no doubt view it as a coup, getting one over on us, but what they don’t want to admit that he is going to them out of 2nd choice. If Klopp really wanted Pulisic then he’d be coming to us, no doubt about it. We offer much better chance of actually being a success, we are the better team now and look to be the better team going forward, Chavs might not even be in the Champions League next season and its a revolving door of managers. Only going to them because he can’t come to us.

Seems like they are becoming the Spurs of 6 or so years ago, every player we are apparently looking at or going for, they then do it. They tried for Alisson, Fekir and now Pulisic.

Never mind, we move on.

Will be a shame to see Pulisic go to the Chavs, don’t see why he would view that as a good step in his career. Hazard is likely off in the summer and most of the team are getting on a bit now or just generally not very good.

They will no doubt view it as a coup, getting one over on us, but what they don’t want to admit that he is going to them out of 2nd choice. If Klopp really wanted Pulisic then he’d be coming to us, no doubt about it. We offer much better chance of actually being a success, we are the better team now and look to be the better team going forward, Chavs might not even be in the Champions League next season and its a revolving door of managers. Only going to them because he can’t come to us.

Seems like they are becoming the Spurs of 6 or so years ago, every player we are apparently looking at or going for, they then do it. They tried for Alisson, Fekir and now Pulisic.

Never mind, we move on.

I just saw some Dortmund fan giving his analysis on Pulisic from his own perspective.

Christian Pulisic, TRUE or FALSE?
 

Pulisic creates lots of chances that are squandered by teammates. FALSE.
Over the length of his Dortmund career, Christian Pulisic has a higher A/90 than xA/90 indicating his teammates more or less finish what they should be expected to. On the other hand, Pulisic has a lower G/90 than xG/90 indicating Pulisic squanders more scoring chances than he should. It's patently false that his teammates have made Pulisic look bad.
 

Pulisic is slumping this season but was one of our best players last season. FALSE.
Shinji Kagawa, Andriy Yarmolenko, Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus and Maximilian Philipp were all superior performers in the second line behind Aubameyang/Batshuayi. Pulisic was marginally better than Andre Schurrle, but given how pitiable Schurrle's season was, that's not saying much.
 

Pulisic was so good he was a first choice starter for Dortmund. FALSE.
Pulisic did in fact, start the majority of games last season. But let's put that situation into context. Pulisic started the majority of games last season because we suffered a severe injury crisis. Marco Reus began the season in the physio room, and did not make his comeback until half the season had already gone. Maximillian Philipp, Andriy Yarmolenko, Raphael Guerreiro, Shinji Kagawa all lost several months to injury. Peter Bosz preferred not to take chances on a then unknown quantity in Jadon Sancho, who only really got his first team shot after Bosz was sacked. Christian Pulisic started the majority of games by virtue of being our one and only winger who did not have a major injury all season. This season, with Sancho, Bruun-Larsen and Guerreiro available, Pulisic has seen his minutes drastically reduced. That despite Reus shifting central at Kagawa's expense, Gotze converting to centerforward, Wolf suffering an injury, and Philipp in terrible form. Truth be told, Pulisic has never been first choice in any of his seasons here. In 15/16 he was wholly peripheral, in 16/17 he was behind Dembele, in 17/18 every other winger was long term injured, and in 18/19 he is competing for 3rd choice. Despite starting as many games as he did last season, in r/borussiadortmund post-season polling for 17/18, Pulisic came up 9th in player ratings (6.73/10), and collected just 1.5% of the POTS vote.
 

Pulisic has been one of Dortmund's key attacking players the past few seasons. FALSE.
In 15/16 the key attacking players were the so-dubbed "fantastic four" quadrumvirate of Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, Reus and Kagawa. In 16/17 it was Aubameyang, Dembele, Reus and Kagawa. In 17/18 the key attacking players were Kagawa, Aubameyang, Yarmolenko, Philipp in the first half, Kagawa, Batshuayi, Reus, Sancho in the second half. In 18/19 our key attacking players are Paco, Reus, Sancho, Hakimi. Pulisic has never been a player the system revolved around, which is why you don't see Dortmund fans panicking and distraught at the idea of losing Pulisic like we were about losing Kagawa, Gotze, Mkhitaryan, Dembele etc. Pulisic has his strengths and uses, but he has always been a plus alpha. A force multiplier. We've never been reliant on him.
 

Pulisic's struggles were caused by being played as a wingback. FALSE.
When Pulisic played wide of midfield in a 343, he still played as a winger, with the right CB or one of the defensive midfield covering the rightback area. It was more of a patchwork solution to fit both Dembele and Pulisic on the pitch at the same time. Pulisic hardly played defensively in those games, which were few and far between in any case.
 

Pulisic is not that good and is only overhyped because he is American.
This statement, is also FALSE. Although circumstances played to his favor, he did not rack up 115 appearances 6,800 minutes with Dortmund's first team, or 14 goals and 24 assists by age 20 by being utter w*nk. He is undoubtedly a good player with a lot going for him. He has a bright future ahead of him, and could very well go on to be the best American field player since Clint Dempsey. Though he was overshadowed by Dembele in 16/17, he did in fact have a good season and was a very promising teenager at the time.

So exactly what kind of player is Pulisic?
1) Pulisic is a winger. He has pace on and off the ball, a fantastic short sprint and a good long sprint. He can take a counter from the edge of our box well into the final third, and keep doing it for 80 minutes. When he is switched on, he will put in a decent defense effort. Contrary to his NT situation, he has been far better wide than central for Dortmund, better on the right than the left. USNT fans argue he should be a "10" but I disagree. Perhaps his long term future lies there, but at present he lacks the goal threat to be a forward type 10 like a Reus or Griezmann, and lacks the decision making and tight space technique to be midfield type 10 like a Kagawa, James or Modric. At the moment at least, he's a winger.
 
2) He is a decent dribbler. While he is no slouch on the technical side of things, he's better at kick and rush style long distance dribbling than tight dribbling. He isn't a close dribbler like Kagawa, who can draw 3-4 players to himself on the ball and wiggle away with one deft turn. He isn't a power dribbler like Reus, who will force his way through a pair of defenders and stay on his feet. But if you punt the ball in front of him and make him contest a SB he'll often kick and go past the defender as if he weren't there. He's far better dribbling at pace than dribbling from a dead start. He loves to take on players, sometimes a bit too much, and can be single minded about it. When well matched he's on song, a hot knife through butter. When outclassed he's a deadend repeatedly smashing himself against the same brick wall.
 
3) He is better at creating chances than finishing them. He has a good eye for a defense splitting pass, though his execution is not at the level of a Reus, Sancho or Kagawa. If his final ball improves, he could be far more lethal than he currently is. Quite often he'll spot a good pass or cross, but overcook it, leave it short or time it wrong. He often has the right idea, but the wrong execution.
 
4) His off the ball movement is better in support than spearheading attack. In a group counter situation, more often than not his off the ball runs are intelligent, and can prove highly distracting to defenses. He will get into a good position to be a finishing option at a decent frequency. On the other hand, he could improve on his off the ball runs when the ball is still in midfield. He doesn't make penetrating runs behind often enough, which is a shame because once he's gotten loose is when he's at his best.
 
5) Pulisic is chaos. While Pulisic himself may not score a lot of goals, or assist that many, he does bring a certain tactical value. His relentless attempts may fail more often than not, but he poses a threat that must be contained. That isn't exactly the hardest thing to do, but it does create gaps for other players to exploit. This means he's ineffective when playing with players who themselves pose little threat, but makes life significantly easier for players who do. The fact that he never slows down and always keeps the attacking tempo high, wears down defenses over time.
 
6) No, he is not two-footed or ambidextrous. His left peg isn't non-existent like some players, but he is in fact very much right footed. Any claims to the contrary are flat out false.
 
7) Defender he ain't. While Pulisic never comes up short on hustle, he isn't a good defensive winger. His defensive positioning isn't great and that paired with his penchant to dribble into walls and lose possession does put some measure of strain on his partnering sideback. He isn't lazy though, and will put in a shift.
 
Physically, he is in fantastic shape. A right proper athlete who looks after himself well. Never has weight issues, hasn't put on negative muscle, and has thus far avoided major injury. He rarely takes ill either. Good stamina and general fitness.
 
9) He has a fantastic attitude about the game. Dembele and Mor, arguably Januzaj too were more naturally talented than Pulisic, but had attitude issues that kept them from being all they could be. Pulisic is a head down, chin up kind of guy. He is focused on football and not easily distracted from it, avoiding most of the pitfalls early hype can bring. The one patch where he was very distracted, was after the USA failed to qualify for the World Cup. That hit him hard, as he himself attested to. He has a fantastic in game attitude as well. He does get frustrated and work himself into a rut sometimes, but you'll never see him not trying or not caring. He has a tendency to rise to the occasion, and some of his best shifts have come against bigger opponents, though he has never done memorably well in a derby for some reason.
 
16/17 he was good. Last season he was w*nk, and this season he is peripheral to Sancho. But it's ridiculous to think he's hit his ceiling and this is as good as he will ever be. He is still a U21 mid development, and has the physical, technical, and most importantly the mental attributes to be a very good player. He has admittedly stalled a bit the past season and half, but perhaps a change of scenery, competition, tactics is needed to take him to the next level. Personally, I don't expect him to become an era defining player over the next year or so, but I don't believe he'll be a flash in the pan forgotten by 25 either. No, he won't be Ronaldo or Messi, and probably not Hazard or Reus either. But he might be a Son or Shaqiri level player in a few years. He will have a solid career, here or elsewhere

.

Going by the look of it, can't help but think Pulisic is just a case of over hype. Anyways, I haven't even seen him play even once, so I don't have any of my own opinion on him