Pulisic signs new deal on eve of Milan derby
Christian Pulisic has signed a new contract with AC Milan to keep him at the club through to June 2031.
The American, who joined the club in 2023 from Chelsea, was in the final year of his deal at San Siro but has finally committed his long-term future to the Rossoneri.
Reports suggest negotiations over his new deal had still not begun in late September, but the club worked fast to secure his signature, having pushed back interest from MLS side New York City FC.
The news is a welcome boost to Milan ahead of its derby clash with rival Inter Milan this Sunday (AEDT), as it looks to get back to winning ways in Serie A.
Milan suffered its first league loss under Ruben Amorim last time out – a 4-2 defeat to Bologna in midweek – which did not serve as the ideal preparation for the Portuguese's first taste of the Derby della Madonnina.
Despite some unrest among Milan's fans, club owner Gerry Cardinale confirmed his trust in Amorim, saying he had "full faith in him" and he was "in no danger whatsoever".
"I really appreciate Cardinale's support. We already knew that we couldn't create strong foundations with these issues over the season," Amorim said.
"It will take some time, but at the same time we want to win every game. When we don't win, we feel it very hard.
"We need time to build the team, and we know that good things take time to be in the sweet spot. It doesn't take away the pain of losing. That is still there.
"I think it's a special match because it's being played in the same city. It's a unique rivalry, but there's also a deep bond: two great teams in the same city sharing a stadium.
"Everyone knows it's a special match, a special moment, and when you get to play it, the context doesn't matter; it doesn't matter if you're tired. You have to go out there and give it your all, and we'll be there.”
Inter sits top of the table heading into the weekend, already seven points ahead of Milan, which is fifth.
While Cardinale has high hopes of Milan winning the Scudetto this term, Amorim acknowledged there is still work to do if they want to top the Serie A table by May.
"You always have to talk about the Scudetto as the main objective when you're at Milan, but we've already dropped points, and we need to fix things. We just have to focus on improving the team step by step," Amorim said.
"What we did wrong in the last match needs to be corrected for the next one. Because if we start thinking too far ahead, about the standings and long-term goals, we risk forgetting what's really important to us. We want to win consistently, year after year.
"We don't want to win a season just because we had a bit of luck or because we took shortcuts in the foundations of the project, only to find ourselves back where we started the following year. That's why we have to fix things day by day, addressing both needs in parallel.
"But when you're Milan, the moral obligation is to declare that the objective is to win. And at the same time, we have to be aware that next week we have a match that could allow us to close the gap at the top."
Christian Mate Pulišić
AC Milan
