‘Happy for Christian Pulisic but disappointed for Matt Turner’ – Why summer transfers to AC Milan & Nottingham Forest have delivered mixed emotions for former USMNT star Brad Friedel

Classy forward Pulisic has severed ties with Chelsea after four years at Stamford Bridge, with the 24-year-old taking on a new challenge in Italy with Serie A giants AC Milan. Turner, meanwhile, has had enough of warming the bench at Arsenal and is now looking to nail down the No.1 spot at Nottingham Forest.

Friedel, who made 82 international appearances in his playing days, has told Sporting Post of Pulisic’s transfer to Milan: “I’m really happy for Pulisic and for the move, I think it’s great and he’s playing, so for his career it’s great. I’m a little bit disappointed, in terms of the fact that I think Mauricio Pochettino would have really liked Christian. I think he could have flourished in his system but it wasn’t to be. But the move overall for Pulisic is a really good one. He’s started really well and it bodes well for the national team, we need our best players playing. Last season we didn’t have that scattered throughout Europe. It was really hit and miss. There was a lack of players who were playing regularly and playing well, and not in relegation battles.”

Friedel went on to say of Turner, who now faces competition from Greece international Odysseas Vlachodimos at the City Ground: “With Turner’s move, someone that is as good as him should never have signed a contract to be a number two for any club. I understand Arsenal are a huge, fantastic club, but when you have the ability he has, you’re only physically able to play football in your life, you need to play as many games as you can. I was a little disappointed for him when he was on the bench all season so I’m really happy with his move. But I’m a little disappointed again because Nottingham Forest know how good of a goalkeeper they have, yet they have signed another goalkeeper from Benfica who’s 29 and played about 500 games and lifted titles with Benfica and he’s got another battle on his hands.”

Pulisic has scored two goals through three Serie A appearances for Milan, having previously delivered a flurry of assists in pre-season, while Turner has played every minute of Forest’s four Premier League games so far in 2023-24 – with a first clean sheet in the English top-flight collected last time out against Chelsea.