Christian Pulisic insists he is not looking to replace Eden Hazard at Chelsea, saying he is happy being his own player.
Pulisic signed for Chelsea in January for £58 million ($74m), then re-joined Borussia Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the 2018-19 season.
The American star has now completed his campaign with Dortmund, and has been in England this week before heading back to the U.S. for this summer’s Gold Cup with the U.S. national team.
With Chelsea facing a transfer ban, Pulisic could be the only new player to arrive at Chelsea in the summer.
The 20-year-old may have some huge shoes to fill next season at Stamford Bridge, with Hazard widely expected to leave Chelsea in the summer to join Real Madrid.
Pulisic, though, is not focused to replicating what the Belgian star has done, instead preferring to focus on himself.
“Eden’s a fantastic player, we all know that. If I can get anywhere close to him, I’ll be more than happy,” Pulisic said.
“But I’m coming in to be my own player. I expect a lot from myself, for me that’s enough.
“Obviously there’s pressure from outside – that’s to be expected.
“I want to be successful, be part of this team and make an impact. They are my goals and to become the best player I can be.”
— Christian Pulisic (@cpulisic_10) May 21, 2019
The Pennsylvania native is by far the most expensive American of all time, surpassing John Brooks, whose $22.5m transfer to Wolfsburg in 2017 set the previous record.
Pulisic is on a mission to be successful at Chelsea not only for himself and his new team, but for other Americans who may follow in his footsteps.
“I want to try to prove to people that Americans can do it. I just want to make a name and represent my country, definitely. So that we gain even more respect,” Pulisic said.
“I think at the beginning they think: ‘Who is this American trying to take my spot?’
“You want to prove to them that you are good enough.”
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