Man Utd, Newcastle or MLS?! Christian Pulisic's potential transfer destinations as USMNT star remains linked with Chelsea departure

Pulisic was linked with an audacious move to Manchester United in the summer, in a deal that might have involved Harry Maguire going in the other direction. Things have changed dramatically since then, with Chelsea looking well-stocked at centre-back due to the arrivals of Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Benoit Badiashile, and Maguire now being worth a fraction of his previous value.

Meanwhile, United are also thought to be prioritising other areas, with a centre-forward at the top of their shopping list. The Red Devils' forward ranks are pretty bloated too, meaning Pulisic could find playing time similarly limited at Old Trafford. This one seems unlikely unless United opt to sell Jadon Sancho this summer.

It's been a strange season for AC Milan. Their Scudetto defence has not gone to plan at all, but beat eternal rivals Inter over two legs and they will close out the campaign by playing in a Champions League final.

The Rossoneri were one of the first clubs linked with a move for Pulisic when it became clear that things were not going to work out at Stamford Bridge and it's easy to see why they would be interested. Rafael Leao's future is still not certain, and if the Portugal star does leave, Milan will be sorely lacking in offensive options.

Several Premier League players - including Fikayo Tomori and Chris Smalling - have been able to resurrect their careers in Italy recently, and it's easy to imagine Pulisic repeating the trick should he decide to move to San Siro this summer.

Moving to Juventus could allow Pulisic to link up with long-time friend and USMNT team-mate Weston McKennie. McKennie moved to Leeds United on loan in January, but unless the Whites can defy the odds under Sam Allardyce and secure Premier League survival, they will not be in a position to make the switch permanent.

The prospect of playing alongside his compatriot would be enticing for Pulisic, but it's hard to rate the chances of the transfer happening while Juve remain shrouded in uncertainty. It's not just the lingering issue of an investigation into the club's alleged financial misdoings, manager Max Allegri might even be moved on at the end of the season due to the Bianconeri's uninspiring performances on the pitch.

By moving from Chelsea to Juve, Pulisic could very well be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Thus, he needs to consider his options extremely carefully.

Leeds already boast a wealth of American talent in their ranks, with Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and McKennie all currently plying their trade at Elland Road. Their immediate focus will be on moving away from the Premier League relegation zone, but should they manage to escape the drop zone, the Whites may add another member to their U.S. contingent this summer.

However, aside from the USMNT links, is he really what Leeds need? What has seriously hurt them this season is their leaky defence. They've created enough chances and scored enough goals to stay up, but their porousness on the counter is why they're in serious relegation danger. With this in mind, adding another forward to their ranks in the form of Pulisic could be an ill-advised decision.

Regardless of all this, the prospective transfer will be taken out of both parties' hands if Leeds go down.

Atletico Madrid are said to be monitoring Pulisic's situation closely ahead of the summer transfer window. Let's not ignore the elephant in the room though, working under Diego Simeone has never been the most enjoyable pursuit for players of an attacking persuasion. Just ask Joao Felix, who could end up having a hand in this potential transfer.

Felix has shown flashes of quality in an entirely-dysfunctional Chelsea team this season, with the Blues yet to make a decision on whether they will make his loan switch permanent in the summer. Should the Blues decide to swoop for the Portugal international, they could make their offer more enticing by adding Pulisic into the mix in a player-plus-cash deal.

He would have to work hard for his playing time - and Simeone will probably try and turn him into a right-back - but Atleti would offer the American Champions League football as well as an outside chance of domestic silverware next campaign.

Moving to Newcastle would give Pulisic the opportunity to be one of the faces of a fast-growing club. It's not just the long-term potential of the Magpies that is alluring either. If Pulisic does make the switch, he will almost-certainly be treated to Champions League football next season, something his Chelsea team-mates can only dream of.

Newcastle are set to have another busy transfer window this summer as they look to give the squad a makeover ahead of their European adventure. Adding Pulisic to an attacking rotation that already contains the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson is exactly the sort of thing the Premier League upstarts need to be doing to take that next step in their development.

This seems to be Pulisic's top option should he wish to stay in England this summer.

Why not head back to where it all began? Pulisic had the world at his feet when he departed Borussia Dortmund in 2019, but things haven't panned out as expected since.

Dortmund are gearing up for a big summer too. Jude Bellingham looks set to join Real Madrid in a big-money move, so the club will have plenty of cash to splash before the start of next season.

The only problem is that BVB are already well equipped in the wide forward positions. Marco Reus and Julian Brandt both recently ended months of transfer speculation by penning fresh contracts, and Edin Terzic also possesses a host of young talent.

Karim Adeyemi, Youssoufa Moukoko and Donyell Malen have all enjoyed promising campaigns, while Giovanni Reyna - Pulsic's compatriot - seems unlikely to leave this summer. A lot will have to change before Dortmund becomes a viable option for Pulisic.

In a word: no. Not yet anyway. Although the league has made significant strides in recent years, it remains a long way off the standard that someone of Pulisic's stature needs to be playing at week in, week out in order to reach his full potential.

Particularly ambitious owners, such as those pulling the strings at struggling Inter Miami, might sound out the player over the summer - but if he has any sense he will steer well clear of his 'home league' for now.