Source: 50-50 chance Christian Pulisic is sold or loaned from Dortmund
As the Bundesliga season kicks off, here are a pair of insider notes with a German flavor:
A source close to U.S. 17-year-old Christian Pulisic says there’s a 50-50 chance that Pulisic will be loaned or sold from Borussia Dortmund before next week’s transfer deadline.
Pulisic was disappointed that Dortmund replaced one outgoing attacker with four new ones this summer (Andre Schurrle, Mario Gotze, Ousmane Dembele, Emre Mor), and he’s worried about taking a step backward this season. Pulisic was offered a new contract by Dortmund earlier this year but turned it down and would not accept a new offer right now, either. A Stoke City source denied a report that it had offered €20 million for Pulisic, but I am told that newly promoted Bundesliga side Red Bull Leipzig is prepared to offer €15 million for him.
Pulisic's current contract runs for three more seasons with Dortmund, which is now saying he's not for sale at any price. But the remaining days before the transfer deadline could get interesting. Pulisic, who scored a pair of goals in Dortmund's preseason, will be in the 18-man roster for the club's Bundesliga opener against Mainz on Saturday.
After lengthy USMNT layoff, expect Copa continuity as World Cup qualifying resumes
Schweicago?
German star Bastian Schweinsteiger has been training with the reserves at Manchester United, and he made news on Wednesday when he tweeted that United would be his last club in Europe. That immediately got people speculating about MLS, and I'm told that the Chicago Fire do indeed have interest in landing Schweinsteiger.
The MLS transfer window is closed, so Schweinsteiger wouldn't be able to join until January, but Chicago is one team that's interested.
The 32-year-old Schweinsteiger retired from the German national team last month.
