Christian Pulisic has only been at AC Milan for a few days, but his new boss is loving what he’s seeing.
Manager Stefano Pioli, in an interview with Sky Sports Italy, said that the U.S. men’s national team star has already shown the qualities that saw Milan help free him from Chelsea in a €22 million transfer completed on July 13.
“Pulisic is a player,” enthused Pioli. “When I say that, I mean that he is someone who knows how to do the right thing at the right time. And when you have someone like him at your disposal, things become easier.”
Serie A has always been noted as a league where decision-making and tactical understanding are prized traits, and Pioli added that the Pennsylvania native is showing he belongs at one of the league’s true giants.
“He is certainly intelligent,” said Pioli. “[He] beats his man, both in one-on-ones, in give-and-go or on through balls. He is of the level — and is different from — his teammates.”
While Pulisic’s role for the USMNT has been pretty consistently defined for years now, Pioli said that between a willingness to vary his formations and Pulisic’s own versatility, his position at AC Milan might change throughout the season.
Pulisic “can play in various positions,” explained Pioli before noting that Milan — who toggled back and forth between a 4-2-3-1 system and various back three formations last season — will consider using a 4-3-3 as a starting point in the upcoming campaign.
Playing on the left wing, Pulisic produced two assists and struck the post in the opening 17 minutes of a 7-0 friendly win over Serie D club FC Lumezzane on Thursday.
“A lot will depend on the knowledge we have on the pitch, or if other players arrive,” said Pioli. “We will also use other systems, but we’re already used to changing within the same match… I continue to believe that different characteristics, in a well-defined game system, can give a team more unpredictability.”
Based on Pulisic’s start to life with the Rossoneri, it looks like one thing we can predict is a bigger role than he got at Chelsea.
Watch Pulisic’s assists for AC Milan
[lawrence-related id=22958,22389,22578]