At the most delicate moment of the season, with four starters out through injury (seven players unavailable in total), Christian Pulisic provided the spark and allowed Milan not only to keep pace with Inter, but also to climb to third place in the standings, level on points with Roma. And on Saturday there is the derby, a match he has already decided more than once...
In Udine, the American took on the role of leader, attempted the decisive play, scored the opening goal and was the technical leader of a team that, thanks also to Bartesaghi’s bursts of acceleration, constantly caused difficulties for Runjaic’s men. The Rossoneri’s number 11 is back at his best and has shown how much he can still give to the 'Diavolo' , after having gone without scoring for Milan from January 1 to September 20. Now that he has scored twice in his last four league matches, he is smiling because he has regained his central role in Amorim’s project and selections. The injury at the World Cup is a thing of the past, and Captain America is smiling again. Just like the Rossoneri.
Pulisic is decisive once again
Already against Lecce, Pulisic had broken the deadlock in the first quarter of an hour: in the last match before the break, he had managed it in the 14th minute, while on Sunday he acted... ahead of schedule, making it 1-0 after six minutes. The pattern was identical: a long ball behind the opposing defense, a perfect sprint and excellent control from Christian, who then beat the goalkeeper. On both occasions, the Rossoneri secured all three points. In short, when the American scores, the road becomes downhill for Amorim’s men, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
Milan missed him tremendously in the second half of last season when, without his goals, Allegri’s team fell apart to the point of losing qualification for the Champions League on the final matchday. From December 28, 2025, to September 20, he found himself in a tunnel lasting twenty-one league matches without celebrating a goal. An endless wait for him, during which he smiled less than usual, dealt with injuries and made unusual mistakes in front of goal. He was unable to lift himself up even at the World Cup, but nevertheless he did not give up, and now he has rediscovered his role at the center of the Rossoneri world.
Pulisic and the contract renewal until 2031
This start to the season, once again at the levels of 2023-24 and 2024-25, has brought the subject of his contract renewal back into the spotlight, a matter that, to tell the truth, those at Casa Milan would have settled a long time ago. The American, however, has always taken his time, and his agreement is still set to expire on June 30. For how much longer? Not long.
After Pavlovic’s renewal, Pulisic’s will also be announced shortly: he will sign until 2031 and will receive a salary of 5 million plus bonuses per season. The club had an option to unilaterally extend the agreement by another twelve months, but it did not exercise it and immediately sought a longer agreement. Because Cardinale considers Pulisic an indispensable element for Milan’s present and future. Not because he is his compatriot, but because he is capable of plays like the one on Sunday. Since May, the owner has never taken into consideration the offers that arrived from MLS and has pushed hard to reach a successful agreement. The attacker from Hershey, for his part, had reiterated his attachment to Milan during the break and will soon confirm it by putting his signature on the new contract.
What also convinced him was the role that Amorim has tailored for him: the two speak the same footballing language, and Ruben has won him over by bringing him closer to the opposing goal and allowing him to make his plays in a more dangerous area. No longer a winger in a 4-2-3-1 or a second striker, but with a lot of ground to cover in order to launch counterattacks because of the low defensive block.
Now Pulisic participates in the pressing (on Sunday he ran more than 12 kilometers, continuously looking for space between the lines) and immediately tries to turn the play into an attacking move. He has returned to being a leader for his teammates. Perhaps he will be one in the derby as well, and then until June 30, 2031.
