Chelsea have been told they don’t need to sign Philippe Coutinho this summer because they already have a number ten at the club. ESPN pundit Don Hutchison argued that Chelsea will risk losing Christian Pulisic if they end up signing the Brazilian.
Chelsea are leading the race to sign Barcelona playmaker Coutinho. The Brazilian is set to leave the club this summer, with Bayern Munich unwilling to pay out to sign him permanently.
Instead, he will return to the Nou Camp, though he doesn’t appear to have a future at the La Liga leaders. As a result, they will let Coutinho leave for a cut-rate price, and are expected to take a financial hit on their £142million-man.
He has only started 12 games this season, scoring five goals in 16 appearances. And due to his inability to break into the starting XI consistently, he has been tipped to leave if Coutinho joins.
“I would love to sit down with Jody Morris, who is a friend of mine, and you guys know I’m friends with Frank Lampard as well, and say why aren’t you offering these positions to Christian Pulisic?” Hutchison said on ESPN FC.
“Instead of scouring Europe for a number ten or someone who can play on either flank, you’ve got one in-house. They’ve got one already on the books at Chelsea.
“Invest a little bit more time in Christian Pulisic. “I hear from the grapevine that he’s a little bit quiet and a little bit shy, maybe it’s time for Jody and Frank to coax that out of him and make him a team player and more demanding on the pitch.
“I’d like to know why Chelsea are going for Coutinho. “I can’t imagine Christian Pulisic staying around if they do.”