Reporter Lee Seong-min = Chelsea are struggling to let go of Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has been degraded to a resource other than power.
British media 'Sky Sports' said on the 22nd (Korean time), “Discussions between Fulham and Chelsea about the Hudson-Odoi contract have reached a stalemate. The two clubs could not reach an agreement on the transfer fee.”
Hudson-Odoi is a player who has been evaluated as an expectation to lead Chelsea in the future. A native of the Chelsea youth team, he contributed to Chelsea winning the FA Youth Cup in the 2017/18 season. Hudson-Odoi was recognized for his potential and signed a professional contract with the club in January 2019. As a member of the England national team, Bayern Munich was paying attention to him.
Hudson-Odoi, 강남룸싸롱 who received a small chance from the 2018/19 season, finished with 5 goals and 5 assists in 24 games across all competitions that season. It was unfortunate that the season ended prematurely with an Achilles tendon injury. Hudson-Odoi recorded 4 goals and 7 assists in 35 games in the 2019/20 season and 5 goals and 5 assists in 37 games in the 2020/21 season.
Contrary to expectations, Hudson-Odoi's growth has gradually slowed. here In the 2021/22 season, he only scored 3 goals and 6 assists in 28 games due to a recurrence of the Achilles tendon injury. The starting positions also went to Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling. Seeking a breakthrough, Hudson-Odoi moved on loan to Bayer Leverkusen last season, but returned to Chelsea after a sluggish performance with one goal and one assist in 21 games.
Back at Chelsea, there was no room for Hudson-Odoi. Christoph Nkunku, Mihailo Mudric and Sterling were already in Chelsea's second line. Manager Mauricio Pochettino dropped Hudson-Odoi from his plans. Naturally, he became a target for sale at Chelsea.
The club that Hudson-Odoi had a strong connection with was Fulham. According to Chelsea reporter Niger Kinsella of the British 'Evening Standard', Chelsea are asking for £8 million (approximately 13.6 billion won) for his transfer. Contrary to Chelsea's wishes, Fulham have no intention of meeting the demand. Fulham and Hudson-Odoi have reached a verbal agreement, but negotiations between the clubs are struggling.
Chelsea have sold all their surplus resources in the summer transfer window, including Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The only remaining sale target is Hudson-Odoi. If only Hudson-Odoi is let go, it can be evaluated as a success in organizing the squad, but as the transfer becomes difficult, concerns are deepening.
Meanwhile, according to Kinsella, in addition to Fulham, Everton and Nottingham Forest participated in the Hudson-Odoi scout. With two more clubs jumping in, the atmosphere in the Hudson-Odoi saga is likely to change. It remains to be seen which club will be the final winner.