According to a recent report by the Times, Chelsea have told Callum Hudson-Odoi that they won’t allow him to leave during the summer transfer window even if he refuses to pen a new contract with the club.
The same source has also mentioned that the Pensioners declined a £35m offer from Bayern Munich back in January, but the Bavarian outfit are ready to reignite their interest for the English speedster in the off-season and will face competition from Manchester United in pursuit of the player.
Hudson-Odoi will only have a year left in his contract at the end of this campaign so the West London club might be taking a huge gamble by keeping him at the club as they risk losing him for free next year. However, Chelsea’s recent ban from acquiring players for the next two transfer windows makes it a necessity for Maurizio Sarri to keep hold of all of his players beyond this summer.
The Pensioners are in no position to let any of their star players leave, but it’s baffling to witness Sarri only use the English youngster sporadically during this season. Unless the Italian manager decides to give the youngster more first-team starts, it might be better for everyone involved to let Hudson-Odoi leave in the summer.
The English whizkid has featured in 24 matches for Sarri’s team this term, finding the back of the net six times while providing six assists in all competitions. He has also been in scintillating form for Gareth Southgate’s England team after impressing for the Three Lions in their 5-1 victory over Montenegro earlier this week.
The 18-year-old has a lot of pace to burn and is very direct with his runs down the flanks. The English starlet has developed a habit of beating his marker so that he can get to the by-line and deliver some dangerous balls into the opposition penalty box. He has also shown enough maturity in front of goal to merit a regular starting berth in Sarri’s first-team.
Unless the Chelsea boss decides to use him more often, there is no way for the Pensioners to keep Hudson-Odoi happy at Stamford Bridge. Hence, the best move for Sarri would be to cash in on him this summer rather than keep an unhappy player at the club for another season.
