Graham Potter could be poised to hand Callum Hudson-Odoi a Chelsea lifeline after the Blues academy graduate was frozen out by his predecessor Thomas Tuchel, it has been claimed.
The Londoners prised Potter away from Brighton a fortnight ago to replace Tuchel, who was brutally axed by Blues co-owner Todd Boehly. The highly-rated coach, who won plaudits for his attractive, expansive brand of football on the south coast, was the club's top choice to replace Tuchel and was in place just 48 hours after the German was given the boot.
Chelsea spent in excess of £280million in the summer to overhaul their squad, but it is expected that Potter will be backed significantly by the new Blues regime in the January transfer window following his appointment.
But according to German outlet Bild, one of Potter's first acts in the transfer market could see Hudson-Odoi brought back to Stamford Bridge. The 21-year-old only joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan in the summer but there was strong interest in his services from Brighton, who were managed by Potter at the time.
And it has been claimed that Potter's arrival in west London could see Hudson-Odoi handed a reprieve, with the new Chelsea chief said to be 'considering' the option of exercising a recall clause that the club inserted into the season-long deal.
A Stamford Bridge return would cap a remarkable turnaround for Hudson-Odoi, who was previously deployed out of position at wing-back and then frozen out by Tuchel - a situation the Blues youngster recently described as "frustrating".
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Speaking to The Mail earlier this week, Hudson-Odoi said: “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?'
“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. You feel fresher, you feel better, you feel like… not that you’re getting treated fairly but that you’ve got the trust from the manager to push you and kick you on.
“You don’t want to be on the bench thinking, ‘Why am I not playing?’ And then it becomes weeks and weeks and the legs are rusty when you do play. The most important thing is consistent football. That’s what I’m getting here and it’s making me feel better."
