New York City FC CEO Brad Sims believes the club are capable of attracting big name players amid their reported pursuit of USMNT star Christian Pulisic.
Pulisic, affectionately known as ‘Captain America’, has never played senior level club football in his country of birth.
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Having moved to Borussia Dortmund aged 15, his career has taken him to Chelsea and AC Milan too.
Still, NYCFC are indeed interested in bringing the USMNT star back to the United States.
NYCFC CEO believes players like Pulisic could sign for them
Speaking to The Post, Sims said: “If you’re buying into MLS and you’re a high-profile player, you know New York City is going to be at the very top of the vast majority of people’s list.
“That’s a competitive advantage for us, and then you see what we’re doing with building the ‘Cathedral of Soccer’ for this sport, and not just in New York, but in this country.
“And the direction of travel for our club and the sport in this market, we’ve got a great story to tell. I think that high-profile players will be very interested in coming here, and so we’ll see how it works out in the future.”
Clearly, Sims is saying that NYCFC would appeal to players of his stature, not that the 27-year-old is particularly close to joining himself.
In fact, Sims admits that he is of the understanding that the forward is not available for a transfer as things stand.
Pulisic is under contract with AC Milan for another two seasons, although the Italian giants are currently in a state of relative flux.
After a miserable season in Serie A, they have appointed former Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim as their new manager.
It remains to be seen what Amorim wants to do with Pulisic, who is helping the USMNT capture the hearts and minds of the American public this summer. There is a palpable sense of excitement in the country, one that perhaps many did not expect before the tournament began.
They are on the brink of a first World Cup quarter-final since 2002 but they do face a difficult test against Belgium in Seattle.
Pochettino’s team should be considered favorites for the game but Belgium do boast quality and significant tournament experience.
At some point, Pulisic will surely return to the States. Quite how soon that will happen, however, remains to be seen.
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