'The plan was Mykhailo Mudryk in, Christian Pulisic out' - USMNT star was supposed to leave Chelsea in January before injury troubles

• Struggling for regular starts
• Departure was on the cards
• Knee injury prevented any exit

WHAT HAPPENED? In January, the Blues spent big on a number of key signings, with winger Mykhailo Mudryk arriving for £89m ($109m). It seems the Ukrainian's arrival opened the door for Pulisic's exit but a knee injury halted that plan.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Fabrizio Romano explained on CBS Sports' House of Champions: "He has a chance to go [this summer]. They’re not accepting loan deals, they need someone to put 35-40M for Pulisic. They were prepared to let him go in January before the injury. The plan was Mudryk in, Pulisic out."

AND WHAT'S MORE: The USMNT star has been linked with a move to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid of late. With that in mind, perhaps a move to Spain could be on the cards this summer, as the transfer of Joao Felix in the opposite direction cannot be ruled out either.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC? Before making any final decisions on his future, the forward will no doubt focus on getting himself fit first, with Pulisic suggesting recently on Instagram that he will be "back soon".