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Massimiliano Allegri is giving serious thought to fielding the two Chris’ against Udinese on Saturday night: Christian Pulisic and Christopher Nkunku.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, there are a lot of parallels between the two players. Both went from Germany to London and then to Milan, seeking the right next step for their career. The have played the same role, have the same technical quality. Now, they are team-mates.
Pulisic was a talent seeking consistency when Milan acquired him from Chelsea in the summer of 2023. He had spent time in the Bundesliga with Dortmund and then in the Premier League, failing to find stability and failing to establish himself among the stars of European football.
Dortmund and Chelsea had agreed a huge deal worth €64m, less than a third of what the Rossoneri spent: €20m plus bonuses. It was a gamble that paid off: Pulisic scores for Milan every 219 minutes, essentially in one out of every three matches.
Nkunku’s impact for Milan has been equally explosive: 52 seconds to win the most contested penalty of the start of this Serie A season (that was then overturned). Christopher is in his fourth domestic league: after PSG, he also spent time in Germany, top scorer in Leipzig, before joining Chelsea.
The figures are identical: €65m paid to the German club by the Blues. The path is similar: their success in the Premier League is compromised by a few physical issues. So, Milan are paying just over half the price: €37m plus bonuses. Like Pulisic, he’s looking for stability and a guaranteed spot.
How would it work?
Udine could mark a new beginning, with Nkunku and Pulisic forming an creative attacking duo. Milan, who were looking for a natural striker all summer, could remodel themselves. Oh, and another strange coincidence: Pulisic and Nkunku are both 177cm.
The idea is there, but it will need to be put into practice during this week’s training sessions. The conditions are present: Rafael Leao is injured, Santiago Gimenez is coming off a hard-working but insufficiently effective performance against Bologna.
In less than a minute, Nkunku was decisive: he won the controversial penalty and was going to be allowed to take it by the chosen penalty takers, Pulisic and Adrien Rabiot. In those final five minutes, the two former Chelsea players found themselves teammates at Milan for the first time. Next time out, they could be together from the start.
The strategy would change: constant switching of positions to keep the defence on their toes and stretch them, with plenty of link-up play. In the future, with Leao’s return, there could be room for everyone in a 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1.
The chase
Christopher is a year older than Christian (28 versus 27) but has been chasing him throughout his career. Pulisic arrived in Germany in 2015, Nkunku in 2019. Pulisic moved to London in 2019 and left City in 2023, when Nkunku arrived.
Captain America is in his third season with Milan: 15 goals in his first season, 17 the following year. He’s scored two goals in this new campaign. Nkunku arrived in Milan just two days before the end of the summer transfer window, on August 30th.
The game against Udine could be his first start. He made his last start in the Premier League on April 6th, but he also played the full 90 minutes for Chelsea on July 8th in the Club World Cup semi-final against Fluminense.
At Milanello, he trained with determination and intensity (even on his team-mates’ days off) and might not be able to play a full match, but he’ll be available immediately, and who knows? It seems like it only takes him a minute to make an impact.
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