Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is currently out on loan with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, has opened up about his future this season and whether he would be recalled by the Blues in January (h/t Tweet from Fabrizio Romano).
Very late in the summer transfer window, the Englishman made a move to Germany on a season-long loan deal. It has been revealed since then that Chelsea have a clause in the contract to recall him in January if required.
New manager Graham Potter, who arrived at the club in September, wanted to sign Hudson-Odoi when he was at Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer. It remains to be seen whether he would tell the club to recall the player mid-season or let him play the whole season in Germany.
This is incidentally Hudson-Odoi’s first loan move away from Chelsea since graduating from the Cobham Academy and playing games for the first team. With a truncated first half of the season due to the World cup break, he may not be able to play the number of games he would have in a normal season.
So, maybe there could be the case of the 21-year-old getting recalled prematurely if he comes back in January. It all depends on the Chelsea manager and what he wants from the player in the future though.
In terms of quality, the Englishman has plenty of it. He is a good dribbler, possesses great pace, is handy defensively and can play in multiple positions. Former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel even used him as a wing-back.
He is still only 21 and loan moves like this could be the catalyst for a fresh spark in his young career. It is always better to play elsewhere and gain experience rather than sitting on the bench happy with the fringe role. Hudson-Odoi has gone for the former with his move this summer. Hope it pays off for him in the long term.
Hudson-Odoi’s latest appearance for the Blues came in the UEFA Champions League group stage clash against FC Porto at the Dragao. He started the game down the left flank but couldn’t help his team avoid a 2-0 loss.
Romano explains Chelsea's managerial situation regarding the future of Mauricio Pochettino The Italian reporter, Fabrizio…
Who's next out the door? Chelsea look to offload fringe players to comply with FFP…
Chelsea eyeing Antonio Conte return as Pochettino's future in doubt Chelsea FC have been vying…
Chelsea have no regrets on settling for Cole Palmer following Michael Olise snub Chelsea's pursuit…
Chelsea to go against Todd Boehly transfer strategy and beat Tottenham to Ivan Toney According…
Chelsea star Cole Palmer's nomination for April's Premier League Player of the Month has his…