Christian Pulisic: New Chelsea signing wants to make same impact as Eden Hazard

Chelsea's new £58m forward Christian Pulisic wants to reach the same level as Stamford Bridge favourite Eden Hazard - and hopes he gets a chance to play in the same side as the Belgian next season.

Pulisic signed a five-and-a-half year contract with the Blues in January but was immediately loaned backed to Germany to finish the campaign at Borussia Dortmund.

The 20-year-old United States international has just spent a couple of days in England getting to know his new surroundings and, in an interview with BBC Sport, made it clear the size of the expectations he places on himself. It is incredible to see what Eden can do," he said. "He is a guy to look up to and what I would love to become.

"It is definitely a goal. Any player would be dumb not to want to be in the same team as him."

Pulisic may not get his wish given Hazard's likely move to Real Madrid after Chelsea's Europa League final with Arsenal on 29 May
USA's most expensive player
Pulisic flew back to the United States on Tuesday for a short break following the end of the Bundesliga season.

He scored four times in 20 league appearances, including nine starts, as Dortmund finished runners-up to Bayern Munich.

Pulisic will link up with the US national team before their Concacaf Gold Cup campaign, which starts on 18 June against Guyana in Minnesota.

He could have the same kind of impact on football in the USA as Landon Donovan, the former LA Galaxy forward who played in Europe with Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Everton.

Pulisic is now the most expensive US player of all time, in addition to the youngest player to captain his country, the youngest player to score for them in a World Cup qualifier, the youngest non-German to score in the Bundesliga and the youngest player to appear for Dortmund in the Champions League.

Pulisic added: "I don't want to be looked at as someone who is the youngest to do this or that.

"I just want to be an established player and someone people respect, who is successful in this league.

"It is completely new to me and something not a lot of American players have experienced. It is a blessing to be in this position, so I can inspire American kids, to show them we can do it too.

"It also shows how much the sport is growing in the USA.

"Major League Soccer is getting much bigger and whilst other sports are not going away, soccer is growing a lot and we have a lot of great prospects in the US."

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