Christian Pulisic will “prove to be better than Eden Hazard” if he sticks around at Chelsea, says Tony Cascarino.
The United States international is approaching the end of a productive debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.
After overcoming a slow start to life in English football and working his way back from an unfortunate injury suffered at the turn of the year, the highly-rated forward has shown that he could be a superstar in the making.
An impressive return of 10 goals and as many assists has been posted across all competitions, with there an FA Cup final date with Arsenal and second leg of the Champions League last-16 encounter with Bayern Munich to come.
Pulisic’s numbers are comparable to those Hazard managed in his first season at Chelsea, with the Belgian going on to become a modern day legend in west London.
Next Match
Cascarino believes the man filling the same left-sided attacking post is capable of securing a similar standing, with the potential there for Pulisic to raise the bar even further.
“I’ve watched him develop and become a player,” Cascarino told talkSPORT.
“I looked at Hazard’s stats - first season, nine Premier League goals in his very first season, the 2012-13 season for Chelsea.
“I keep thinking: ‘Was Hazard as good as Pulisic has been?’ Pulisic has been out of the team at times through injury, he was brilliant in the Super Cup against Liverpool, but I think he has progressed into a player.
“He has got nine Premier League goals as well this season. I think Pulisic is going to be one hell of a player.
“He has got one advantage over Hazard, because Hazard was at Chelsea for a long time and over those years there were a few dips and sometimes he looked out of shape. Pulisic is a total pro, everything about him is professional.
“His pathway has been planned, from his parents down to him. The clubs, to get him to the Holy Grail of the Premier League, it’s all been programmed in a bit like an android, robot sort of form.
“Boy is he dangerous. If he stays in England for five, six, seven years for Chelsea, I think he’ll prove to be better than Hazard, and that’s a big call.”