Christian Pulisic 'To Be My Own Player' at Chelsea, Not Replace Eden Hazard

Christian Pulisic said his goal is to be his own man at Chelsea rather than replace Eden Hazard if the Belgian leaves this summer. 

Chelsea signed Pulisic in a £58 million deal from Borussia Dortmund in January, but he remained at the German club on loan until the end of the season, while Hazard has been strongly linked with Real Madrid.

Per Goal, Pulisic said:

"Eden's a fantastic player, we all know that. If I can get anywhere close to him, I'll be more than happy.

"But I'm coming in to be my own player. I expect a lot from myself. For me that's enough. 

"Obviously there's pressure from outside—that's to be expected. 

"I want to be successful, be part of this team and make an impact. They are my goals and to become the best player I can be."

Following the end of the German season, Pulisic has been presented at Stamford Bridge:

The winger moved to Dortmund in 2015 at the age of 16, and he became a regular fixture in their senior side the following year.

Now 20, he has left BVB having made over 100 appearances for the club:

This season, some fitness issues coupled with the rise of Jadon Sancho meant he only started 17 matches in all competitions, and he ended the campaign with seven goals and six assists to his name.

He's quick and skilful in beating opponents, and he has UEFA Champions League experience, too, which will come in handy when the Blues return to that competition next season.

Chelsea author Mark Worrall and Alex Goldberg of the CalcioLand Podcast are looking forward to seeing him at Stamford Bridge next season:

He may not have the same attacking output as Hazard, who has contributed 19 goals and 16 assists in all competitions this season, but he's still young and developing his game.

Few players could replicate Hazard's contribution at Stamford Bridge, but Pulisic is a player with a great deal of potential. He could become a star of the team in the future.