Why This Summer Is the Time to Sell Pulisic
It may be an odd position for a column entitled An American in Dortmund to take to advocate for the transfer of its namesake Christian Pulisic. Believe me, it is simply not because the author is tired of writing about him. Rather, from a business perspective and looking ahead to a busy summer for Dortmund, shrewd early business could mean long-term gain for both club and player.
First, let us consider the Dortmund perspective. The Black-and-Yellow again go into the offseason unsettled on the touchline. While Peter Stoeger has arguably made a case to remain, there are a number of intriguing managerial targets that would be tempted to stand before the Yellow Wall. Regardless of who comes in, they will have a number of deficiencies to fill if Dortmund want to remain ahead of the other competitors to Bayern, much less catch them.
One place it has options is attackers down the wing and in the centre of the midfield. While the young star whose weekly wage is less than the likes of Goetze is a hard commodity to part with, the potential fee is certainly enticing.
Imagine the quality of keeper and centre defender could be acquired with the transfer fee from Dortmund. Pulisic would not be the first big name transferred from Dortmund and likely will not be the last considering their financial prudence. The only downside to this timing is Pulisic will not feature in this summer’s World Cup, a showcase that tends to boost key player’s valuation.
From the player’s perspective, at 19 years of age Pulisic certainly has a long career ahead of him. However, any number of promising young players can tell you that a long career cannot meet the promise or suffer a rash of injuries. If you had the opportunity to make a move and sign a new, more lucrative deal with a major club at a time when television money is overflowing club coffers, it is hard to say no to such an idea.
It is hard to fathom that a club should sell a young player who has proven he can be a star at the highest level and still grow as a player. Dortmund, however, is not a usual club. Their history of bringing through young stars is well known, but in the present, they have some glaring deficiencies that must be addressed this summer if they want to again compete for a title. If Pulisic goes, he will be missed but that is life as a BVB fan.
