Callum Hudson-Odoi is confident Todd Boehly wants young players to play a key role at Chelsea in the years to come.
In what was a record-breaking transfer window for the Blues, Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Hutchinson and Cesare Casadei were among the teenagers to join the club, alongside the more established names.
While Hudson-Odoi has joined Bayern Leverkusen on loan for the season, he revealed Chelsea owner Boehly made it clear that he wanted the winger to return to west London next summer.
The 21-year-old believes there is a marked change at the club under the new ownership, with more of a focus on the future rather than just on a desire for immediate success.
“It’s definitely different,” Hudson-Odoi told the Daily Mail.
“When a club is trying to get a player [on loan], they always want that option to buy at the end of the season. Todd was saying: ‘Listen, we want you back here’.
“You’re still on the radar of being wanted by the club. The way he’s trying to set it up, there are a lot of young players he’s trying to buy for the next few years.
“It shows he wants to integrate the players into the team and help them develop.”
Hudson-Odoi has started both of Leverkusen’s Champions League matches this season, as well as featuring regularly in the Bundesliga, as the winger has finally got the consistent minutes he has wanted.
It comes after he was left out of the squad entirely for Chelsea’s opening Premier League match of the campaign, away to Everton, which made it clear that he was not a part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
“It was one of those difficult moments when you look at yourself and say, ‘What am I doing wrong? Have I done anything wrong to not even be in the squad?’” Hudson-Odoi said.
“I would never say anything bad about Thomas, he was a good guy, a good manager. [But] the first game of the season, it was frustrating. Any footballer that isn’t in the squad would understand how frustrating it is.
“Regular football gives you consistency and the more games you play, the more consistent you become, the more form starts to kick in.
He added: “Right now, playing games, momentum is kicking on and you feel refreshed: new country, brand-new experience. It’s definitely refreshing to know I get an opportunity to play games week in, week out, enjoying it and smiling.”
