Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has insisted that he’s always been an admirer of Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic and claims that the best is ahead of him as he develops.
The 21-year-old stole the headlines at the weekend by scoring the perfect hat-trick in the Premier League win over Burnley, which were his first goals for the Blues.
His hat-trick alongside his five assists this season has meant it’s been a solid start to life at Stamford Bridge and he’s done that in just 10 appearances across all competitions.
The USA international has had to be patient for his chances, but made the most of a rare start against Burnley and has made it very difficult manager Frank Lampard to leave him out of upcoming fixtures.
Merson believes that youngster Pulisic still has so much ahead of him, but already rates him as a top talent and was impressed with his weekend display.
“I like Pulisic, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-2 win against Burnley, and I’ve always been a big fan of his. I think he’s a top player, but he’s only a kid,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“He’s 21 and you’re not going to hit your best football until you’re 27 or 28, I wouldn’t have thought.
Pulisic is yet another one of the youngster stars impressing at Stamford Bridge, but the difference is he does have the pressure of a big price tag on him
Chelsea paid £58million (BBC) to bring him to the club from German outfit Borussia Dortmund and the early signs are that he’s a rising talent destined for the top.
He’s injected a real directness in the final third when on the pitch and the competition for places in the wide areas is excellent.
The rapid winger will need to be at his A-game to nail down a spot in the team, but has all the qualities to be a success in the Premier League and should only improve the longer he works with Lampard.
Pulisic did make a name for himself in the Bundesliga with Dortmund and has decent experience at the top level, so it’s easy to forget he’s still aged just 21.
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