Mauricio Pochettino is set to be confirmed as Chelsea's new manager ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, with the focus no doubt on how the Argentine can get the best out of the bloated squad at Stamford Bridge.
Todd Boehly has spent big on new signings without any thought for how they'd fit into a particular team or system, which has perhaps proven to be the demise of both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, while Frank Lampard's woeful record of just one win as interim manager suggests that Pochettino has a huge job on his hands.
If the Blues are going to bring in new signings again this summer, then the former Tottenham Hotspur boss must surely consider moving some of the deadwood on permanently a matter of top priority.
In fact, if Chelsea want to avoid being exposed for another embarrassing transfer decision, then Pochettino must look to sell Christian Pulisic this summer, or they risk losing the £58m signing for free next summer when his contract expires.
Why does Christian Pulisic need to be sold?
When Pulisic joined from Borussia Dortmund in January 2019, he was widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in European football, having managed 19 goals and 26 assists in 127 appearances for the Bundesliga giants.
There was a promising first season in west London for the USA international, as he contributed nine goals and six assists in the 2019/20 Premier League campaign but this would be as good as it got for the 24-year-old at Stamford Bridge.
Subsequent league campaigns have seen him manage a combined 11 goals, with this term the worst of his career, with just one goal and one assist to his name in 21 top-flight appearances
Pulisic would perhaps have been forgiven for his poor goalscoring form when considering the Blues' overall struggles in the final third so far this campaign, with only Everton, Southampton and Wolves scoring fewer.
However, his overall performances have also been dour, as his WhoScored average rating of 6.30 in the Premier League sees him remarkably ranked as the 27th-best performer in Frank Lampard's squad.
Pochettino will have a plethora of wide options available to him at Chelsea next season, with youngsters Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke supporting the more experienced Raheem Sterling and Hakim Ziyech, which suggests there will be little room for Pulisic.
Given his contract expires in 2024 and his form has been awful for much of the last three years, Pochettino must ensure that Pulisic's Chelsea nightmare finally comes to an end this summer, as it would be another bad look for the club if the £58m signing departed on a free transfer.
