OFFICIAL: Christian Pulisic completes €64 million transfer to Chelsea

It’s officially official. Christian Pulisic is now a Chelsea FC player after completing a transfer to the London club for an astounding €64 million, Borussia Dortmund confirmed on Wednesday.

While the deal to send Chelsea is complete, the 20-year-old’s Dortmund career is not over. The two clubs have agreed that Pulisic will be loaned back to the current Bundesliga leaders to finish off the current season before joining Maurizio Sarri’s side for the 2019-20 campaign.

The fee more than triples John Brooks’ €17 million move from Hertha Berlin to Wolfsburg in 2017, which stood as the highest transfer fee ever paid for an American.

Pulisic decided to cut off contract renewal talks with Dortmund in the summer. Ever since, transfer rumors have been running rampant with Chelsea and Liverpool being the two clubs talked about the most. Finally, Chelsea have won out and will bring in the youngster next season.

Despite Pulisic’s struggles this season, this type of fee for an American player speaks volumes. Now it’s up to him to prove he’s worth it.

Pulisic said a heartfelt goodbye on Twitter to the club that gave him his professional start:

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce that I will be entering my final months at (y)our world-famous Club.

“It feels like only yesterday that I arrived in Dortmund as a raw, excited, very nervous but exceptionally proud 16-year-old from a small American town called Hershey. I had no idea what lay ahead but I soon discovered that as a young Schwarzgelben, I would be in the best possible hands.

“I would not be where I am today without the Club and their belief in giving young players a chance. It’s been an honor and a dream to pull on the black-and-yellow in front of the Südtribüne!

“Many, many memorable moments stand out — to have experienced all of them before my 20th birthday still feels, at times, like a dream. I would like to thank all those coaches who I have played under and who gave me these opportunities.

“And to many amazing teammates throughout the years: You took me in as a young boy, shared your experience with me, helped me to develop and grow into a professional footballer. Fort this I sincerely thank you.

“To our unbelievable fans: It’s been a privilege to stand with you on the Südtribüne and to experience how you support your heroes. I feel honored to have been able to make the trip from being supporter, to being supported. You have taken me in as one of your own. Thank you.

“I would also like to thank Mr. Watzke and Mr. Zorc. It was very important to me that I handled my situation in a fair and professional manner as possible towards the Club. So I thank them for finding a solution that was a win-win for everyone.

“In summer of 2019, I move on to Chelsea and to a new competition, the English Premier League. It’s a privilege to have signed for a such a legendary club and I look forward to working hard towards being a contributor to their team of world class players. Looking forward to working with Maurizio Sarri and his technical team.

“But for the next six months, it’s all BVB! Please do not doubt my passion, determination and my 110% commitment to the team right until the last ball is kicked this season. We all feel that this is ‘our year’ and we are determined to achieve the best possible results in all competitions.

“Heja BVB!

-Christian #22