CorSera: Milan working on renewal for ‘extraordinary’ Pulisic – the salary increase needed

Christian Pulisic will be tasked with leading AC Milan again on Sunday versus Sassuolo with Rafael Leao absent, while the club are thinking about a renewal.

As Corriere della Sera report, Leao’s injury partially ruined the team’s celebrations after claiming back top spot on Monday night in the freezing Turin weather, but thankfully scans have shown it is less serious than expected.

This means he will most likely miss the home game against Sassuolo on Sunday lunchtime, but a couple of days later he will board the plane that will take Milan to Saudi Arabia to defend the Supercoppa Italiana they won in January.

Since then, everything has changed, from the coach to the position in the table. It is a ‘new Milan’, and the comeback victory over the Granata was further proof of this. The presence of champions like Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot has raised the level, and the Frenchman’s goal inspired belief.

Pulisic to the rescue – reward imminent?

Pulisic’s quality did the rest. Captain America’s goal fever continued, after a literal one. The night before he had a 39-degree temperature but felt better in the morning so he took a minibus to Turin, to join the team.

He entered the field in the 66th minute and by the 77th he had turned the game on its head with a brace. His numbers this season are beyond impressive: nine appearances and nine goals across the league and cups, one every 61 minutes.

Image: AC Milan

His contract expires in June 2027, and while Milan have an option to extend it until 2028, negotiations have been underway for a few months to extend his contract until 2030. The crux of the matter is his salary, which needs to be raised from the current €4m net to €5m. He deserves it all.

Above all, given his performances and the track record of other players who have ultimately left for free, it’s better to plan ahead. With Mike Maignan, the wait-and-see strategy didn’t pay off, and in June the Rossoneri risk losing him for free.

It can’t happen again with the American. He’s the new Diavolo’s extra weapon, as they have serious problems in attack that will need to be resolved in the transfer market. First, though, Pulisic must be locked down.