As players pulled into Milan's 125-anniversary party on Monday night, they were largely greeted with a chorus of boos. Italian fans are known to be critical, particularly in the darker moments. Milan find themselves in that circumstance, sitting a disappointing eighth in Serie A. As a result, stars such Rafael Leao, Fikayo Tomori and Theo Hernandez were heckled. Owner Gerry Cardinale got it worst of all.
Not Christian Pulisic, though. The U.S. men's national team star was instead greeted with a chorus of cheers and applause, making him one of few to receive a warm welcome from Milan's fans stationed throughout the event. It's emblematic of Pulisic's standing in Milan, where he's become beloved by many for all of the things he can do in between the lines.
For years, Pulisic found himself on that opposite side. During his time at Chelsea, he was never beloved, rarely supported, and always lacked the boost needed to be his best. He's found that better version of himself in Milan and, now, it looks like he's ready to commit to it.
Reports emerged indicating that Pulisic could be set to re-commit to Milan, adding years to his current deal - and a few bucks, too. Milan is reportedly working on a new contract that would run through 2028 with an option for 2029, and make Pulisic one of the club's highest paid players at between $4.2-5.2 million (€4-5 million).
Really, though, the question isn't so much about the contract itself - it's about a mutual statement of faith. By signing an extension with Milan, Pulisic - despite interest from elsewhere - would commit his future to the Italian club, and it would be easy to understand why.