Man Utd could thank Wayne Rooney if they seal the transfer of Chelsea ace Christian Pulisic

Manchester United are eyeing Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic this summer and could thank club legend Wayne Rooney if a move goes ahead. Erik ten Hag has identified Pulisic to bolster his attacking ranks in the final two weeks of the transfer window.

According to , United want to sign Pulisic on a season-long loan, joining Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Newcastle United in their interest. And Old Trafford would be the 23-year-old's preferred destination if he leaves Chelsea before September 1.

The report claims Chelsea know Pulisic is frustrated with his lack of playing time under Thomas Tuchel and are ready to listen to loan offers. The USMNT captain, who joined Chelsea in a £58m deal in 2019, is desperate to do more before leading his country to the Qatar World Cup this winter. p>

And if United are successful in their quest, they may be able to thank Rooney. Speaking as a teenager at Borussia Dortmund in 2017, two years before he joined the Premier League, Pulisic admitted he supported the Red Devils as a child and was inspired by the iconic No. 10.

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He told ESPN: "I was a huge Manchester United fan when I was younger. I loved watching Rooney. I wouldn't say I'm a similar player, though. I think his passion for the game is something you don't see much of in players. That's what I loved about him."

Despite his mammoth transfer fee, Pulisic hasn't set English football on fire and has yet to make 20 starts in one of his three Premier League seasons. Coming into the 2022/23 campaign, he played off the bench in Chelsea's first games against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

He may not hit much as a player who could arrive at United and contribute plenty of goals and assists, registering 27 appearances in 76 league appearances for the Blues so far. But Ten Hag is in dire need of attacking numbers before Europa League football and the mid-season World Cup contribute to a packed schedule.

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Cristiano Ronaldo, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are the Dutchman's only established strikers. But Ronaldo still wants to leave, and Martial's injury problems returned just days before the start of the new season. Mason Greenwood's suspension remains.

After missing his two main attacking targets in Darwin Nunez and Antony, Ten Hag could see Pulisic as a temporary placeholder before prioritizing a striker next summer. He also wants a goalkeeper, a right-back and, most importantly, a central midfielder before this year's deadline.

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