Callum Hudson-Odoi has reportedly rejected an offer of a new £85,000-a-week contract to opt for a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
According to a report by Sky Sports, 18-year-old winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has declined Chelsea’s offer to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge. Bayern Munich have been heavily linked with the teenage prodigy, who has been left frustrated over his lack of first-team minutes at the West London club.
Hudson-Odoi has hardly seen any playing time on the field this season, and has made a mere 14 appearances for the senior side, most of which have come from the bench. And, this is possibly the reason why the youngster wants to part ways with Chelsea.
The player would also have been tempted by the success stories of other English youngsters in Germany. Reiss Nelson, who is on loan from Arsenal at Hoffenheim, has been in fine form this season, while Jadon Sancho has been the face of English imports in the Bundesliga, having been a pivotal player for Borussia Dortmund.
To that end, Hudson-Odoi has made it clear to Maurizio Sarri that he does not even want to stay for the remaining 18 months of his contract with the Blues and is keen to make the move to Bayern Munich, thereby rejecting their offer of a staggering £85,000-a-week deal.
Bayern have reportedly made four bids for the pacy winger, with the latest slightly north of Chelsea’s £35 million valuation for the teenager.
However, Chelsea are extremely keen to keep their academy graduate, who has showcased his abilities this season. In fact, the Blues also believe that Bayern Munich have been unprofessional in their approach and are simply bullying the player.
Sarri has been quick to add that he did not have any stake on the decisions regarding his future, and did “not want to speak to a player about something that doesn’t depend on me”. And, former Chelsea maestro, Michael Ballack has also been quick to weigh in on the issue, advising the club to not let go off the player.
When asked about his opinion on the player, he said, “We’re talking about a player who just came recently from the youth level. He’s trying to achieve the step to the professional level in a top club. This makes it a lot more difficult for a young player because the standard is very, very high. It’s hard to say whether the player is good enough for this demand or not. It’s a fact that he’s an outstanding talent.”
Chelsea are hoping to revamp their forward in order to qualify for the Champions League next year. It looks quite possible with arrival of Gonzalo Higuain and Christian Pulisic. But, keeping Hudson-Odoi is a necessity on Sarri, who would be served well for the long-term if the English wonderkid stays put at the Bridge.
But, if game time continues to be hard to come by for the 18-year-old, his future may just be sealed. For now, it remains to be seen if Chelsea can reach an agreement with Callum Hudson-Odoi over a new deal, or if he ends up joining Bayern Munich instead.
