Could Christian Pulisic leave Milan? Why USMNT star missing European competition before World Cup doesn't help

The American has been a star at Milan and is expected to stay, but he's reportedly waiting to see what the club does before committing his future

It has been a disappointing season for AC Milan as the Italian giants failed to qualify for a European tournament next season, and they will have to face a summer of change with multiple players expected to leave the Rossoneri, and the club set to appoint the third manager in less than one year. 

After parting ways with Stefano Pioli at the end of the 2023-24 season, AC Milan decided to appoint Paulo Fonseca to start a new cycle, but after a difficult start to the season for the club owned by the RedBird group, led by American businessman Gerry Cardinale, they replaced Fonseca with former FC Porto manager Sergio Conceicao. After a strong start to his spell, as they won the Supercoppa Italiana final against Inter, the results were not the ones they had hoped for, and AC Milan ended out of the European tournaments next season.

On top of that, the Rossoneri also lost the Coppa Italia final against Bologna, which qualified the team coached by Vincenzo Italiano to the 2025-26 Europa League league phase, making the season of AC Milan look even worse. Now that it's official, should Christian Pulisic think about moving away?

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What's next for the club?

The club is now thinking about the future as it's time to consider the next moves of multiple key players of the current roster, with Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan among those who could potentially leave AC Milan this summer, according to multiple reports. As of now, there's no indication that Pulisic will leave AC Milan in the summer of 2025, though much will depend on interest from other clubs.

Missing out on European football next season could impact Pulisic's career and his ambitions, especially after his standout performance as one of Milan's top players this season, with 17 goals and 12 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions. Heading toward the 2026 World Cup in his home country, this setback is far from ideal for Pulisic and his career.

Wait and see for Pulisic?

Pulisic is also in talks with the club over a new contract, as the current deal, signed when he arrived from Chelsea in the summer of 2023, is valid until 2027, and the Rossoneri are willing to extend it for more years. However, as reported by Matteo Moretto, Pulisic has held off from signing an extension as he wants to know the club's plans about the new sporting director and the manager for the upcoming season. 

The 2025-26 season will be an important one for the American winger, as he's heading to play the 2026 World Cup in his home country and represent the United States as the leader of the team under manager Mauricio Pochettino. This is why Pulisic was hoping to play European soccer as well, to have another stage where he can prove himself at the international level and continue to progress. For sure, AC Milan not playing European soccer doesn't automatically mean Pulisic will leave the Rossoneri this summer, but there will be some questions between the club and the American star that need to be discussed as soon as possible. As of now, the expectation is that he will stay at the club and sign a new deal, but things can drastically change quickly in soccer, and Pulisic can't make mistakes ahead of the most important year of his career.