Christian Pulisic "wants to be the go-to player" at Chelsea, says Pat Nevin, with the United States international being tipped to shine at Stamford Bridge in 2021-22 alongside Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech.
The current holders of the Champions League crown have an abundance of attacking riches at their disposal, with Thomas Tuchel facing plenty of welcome selection headaches.
USMNT star Pulisic forms part of those plans, with the 22-year-old forward looking to leave niggling knocks behind and become a talismanic presence for Premier League heavyweights.
What has been said?
Quizzed on whether Pulisic is capable of hitting those heights, former Chelsea winger Nevin - in association with British Gambler - told Goal: "I don't think he has a great deal to prove, but there is a lot of competition to get into that front three.
"There's obviously Havertz who I believe is a sure starter, so there's two other positions to fight for. There's Ziyech, Pulisic, [Timo] Werner and [Callum] Hudson-Odoi, who has arguably been the best player in pre-season. Mason Mount was basically Chelsea's player of the year, Tammy Abraham as well and that's before you get into any new potential signings.
"It's incredible to just get a game in those positions, but they won't all start and play 90 minutes every game, they'll be used tactically quite a lot.
"Christian doesn't want that; he wants to be the 'go-to' player and that's what he has to try and make happen. He's certainly good enough to do that and play every single game, but his numbers have to go up.
"If he does that and continues to do that throughout the season then he'll play every week, but the club and the fans love him already.
"A lot of these players are young, this is a group who in two or three years who will be miles better than they are now and they've already won the Champions League, which is scary to think about.
"I hope Christian plays every game because he's an excellent footballer and his match intelligence is phenomenal. I wouldn't compare him quite to [Eden] Hazard, but he has similar attributes."
Can Pulisic be a key man for Chelsea?
The American winger made history last season when becoming the first man from his country to play in a Champions League final, but he only started 18 Premier League games as more muscle problems held him back at times.
There is, however, no doubting his current ability and future potential, with Nevin expecting to see even more from a collection of young stars in what is shaping up to be another intriguing season for the Blues in west London.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Pulisic was the one to take his game to the next level, I also wouldn't be surprised if it was Ziyech or Havertz either," Nevin added.
"Pulisic has got everything you need, he can score goals from wide areas, he has pace, he works hard, so he's got absolutely everything to become an even better player.
"There was a game at Burnley where he scored a hat-trick and we all thought that would be the start of it, but the injuries have set him back. It happens in football; you've got to get on with it and I believe he's had a really good time with Chelsea so far.
"I think he's capable of being that big-game player, but if I had to pick one for this season then I would say Kai Havertz edges it. Considering his age and what he's done already, scoring a winner in a Champions League final. He's just such an elegant player and people in Germany are stunned at his ability.
"Pulisic and Havertz are the two that can propel Chelsea further, especially in the league."
Further reading
- Pulisic at wing-back? Tuchel explains surprise decision
- Pulisic has received death threats over social media video
- Why is Christian Pulisic called 'Captain America'?