The Blues boss admitted he was unaware the transfer would go through, despite giving a positive assessment of the American a month ago
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has admitted he was in the dark over the club’s signing of Christian Pulisic.
The American was brought in on a £58 million (€64m/$73m) deal on Wednesday, and then loaned back to Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the season.
Despite the Blues splashing out the third highest transfer fee in their history for the 20-year-old, the Italian said he was unsure if the deal would go through.
Sarri did say, however, that he had been consulted on the transfer around a month before the move went through.
“I didn’t know anything about [signing] Pulisic yesterday,” Sarri told the BBC following Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Southampton on Wednesday.
“They asked my opinion about him one month ago. My opinion was positive and today I knew that the deal is done but I didn’t know anything.”
The Italian reiterated that he doesn’t involve himself in the club’s transfer business much, instead focusing on matters taking place on the pitch.
“I am not in charge of the market so I have to tend to my matches and play every three days. I can only say my opinion to the club,” Sarri said.
Chelsea sacked Antonio Conte in the summer after the Italian had spent two seasons with the club, and installed Sarri as his successor.
Conte had fallen out with the club’s board after they failed to secure several of his top transfer targets.
Sarri, by contrast, appears content to let the club’s hierarchy handle most of the transfer business.
Wednesday’s draw left the Blues sitting fourth, three points back of third-placed Manchester City, who face Liverpool in a crunch Premier League contest on Thursday.
The club are back in action with an FA Cup clash against Nottingham Forrest on Saturday and face a Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham on Tuesday.
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They won’t return to Premier League action until their clash with Newcastle on January 12.
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