NEW YORK — New York City FC has expressed interest in acquiring Christian Pulisic to join Major League Soccer (MLS), but acknowledged that AC Milan has no intention of letting go of the standout American player.
According to a report from ESPN last month, AC Milan has already turned down an offer from NYCFC regarding the forward. Pulisic’s contract is set to expire in June 2027, with an option for the club to extend it for an additional year.
“If you ask my 29 peers in the league whether they would want Christian Pulisic on their team, I’m confident they’d all say yes,” NYCFC president Brad Sims stated on Thursday during an event aimed at promoting the upcoming MLS season.
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“Would MLS, from a league perspective, love to have Christian Pulisic on board? Absolutely,” Sims added. “If AC Milan isn’t willing to part ways with him, then there’s nothing we can do.”
“Ultimately, we believe that Christian wants to play in MLS, that he wants to return home, and whenever that opportunity arises, we hope that New York City FC will be among his preferred choices.”
Pulisic, a talented attacking midfielder hailing from Hershey, Pennsylvania, is set to turn 28 in September. He joined AC Milan three years ago following stints at Borussia Dortmund (2016-19) and Chelsea (2019-23).
Pulisic boasts 33 goals in 90 international matches, but his recent World Cup performance was lackluster, with no goals and only one assist. After dealing with injuries, he missed one U.S. match and had to exit two others early, including last week’s round of 16 loss to Belgium, where he suffered a fractured right leg.
“I felt great this summer with the team, and I thought I was playing well,” he reflected post-game. “It’s frustrating not to have the breakthrough moments I was aiming for, especially against such a strong opponent.”
Last season at AC Milan, Pulisic netted 10 goals in his first 15 games but ended the campaign on a disappointing note, going 19 games without a goal after December 28.
During Thursday’s event, Sims also announced that the opening of New York City FC’s Etihad Park has been rescheduled for July 17 next summer, coinciding with the start of the 2027-28 MLS season, which will align with the majority of European leagues.
“This has been 12, 13 years in the making,” Sims said. “Numerous individuals have invested incredible effort and dedication in evaluating countless potential locations in the five boroughs: the ups, downs, and everything in between.”
Gotham FC from the National Women’s Soccer League announced this month that it will begin playing its home games at Etihad Park starting in 2028.
NYCFC broke ground on the 25,000-seat stadium near New York Mets‘ Citi Field in December 2024, initially targeting a 2027 opening. However, last February the club announced a delay. During the league’s shortened transition season of 2027, NYCFC will continue to host its home matches mainly at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.
Since its inception in 2015, NYCFC has primarily played its home matches at these venues, alongside occasional games at the rival New York Red Bulls‘ stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, and Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.
This report includes contributions from the Associated Press.