Chelsea transfer news: Blues keen to keep hold of Hudson-Odoi despite interest from Bayern Munich
What's the story?
Chelsea assistant coach and former player Gianfranco Zola expressed his desire to see teenage sensation Callum Hudson-Odoi at the club despite mounting interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
The Blues have been sweating over the future of the youngster, who is determined to feature more often at Stamford Bridge.
In case you didn't know...
Due to lack of opportunities under new boss Maurizio Sarri, Hudson-Odoi has been subject to a move away from Chelsea, the club he has been a part of since his very first step towards football.
The 18-year-old's performances in the cup fixtures and have earned him loads of approbations over the last couple of years. And for sure, such precious talent hasn't gone unnoticed.
The heart of the matter
German powerhouse Bayern Munich have knocked the doors at West London, not once, not twice, but thrice now, with the latest offer being of £30 million as they hope to fill the big boots of Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben.
However, they are no short of competition as Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Juventus have also emerged as potential suitors.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, who are without Willian and Pedro at the moment due to injury woes, are keen on keeping hold of one of their brightest homegrown products. Assistant coach Zola opened up on the team's wish to tie the starlet down to the new contract.
Addressing the media, he said:
“I know Bayern are interested in him, but we are as well. We have had a contract with him for a while and we will see what the player wants. He has not played what he wanted.
The Italian continued:
I have told him it is not a waste of time, because you are pushed to do more and I hope he uses this time in a wise way. He will be a very good thing in football. I understand he has requests but I believe that he has a bright future.
Zola had no doubts over the player's potential. He added:
“For 18 years old, he has a lot of potential. You have to understand the journey is not finished, he has to have a good attitude. It is not important he plays straight away, it is about developing. He has to keep an open mind to improve. I believe we can help him, develop him and I believe he has a future in this club.”
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Hudson-Odoi is a special, special talent.
What's next?
Chelsea have a bad history of letting their homegrown players leave, but it will be interesting to see if they sell the Englishman as they might lose Eden Hazard in the summer. Meanwhile, the Blues host Nottingham Forest as they look to begin their FA Cup defence.