When Bayern Munich were sniffing around Callum Hudson-Odoi in January 2019, many supporters of Chelsea were extremely reluctant to let him leave. The German club first expressed their interest during the aforementioned mid-season window, and that kept going until the summer when they saw a £22.5million offer turned down by the Blues.
Chelsea had to act if they wanted to keep Hudson-Odoi – and they did just that. On September 19, 2019,Chelsea confirmed that the then 19-year-old had signed a new five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
"It's an amazing feeling," Hudson-Odoi told the club's official website. "It's been a long wait, but it's done now, and I'm really happy about that. I've been a Chelsea player since I was eight, and this is the right club for me to be at."
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Almost three years on from penning that extension, where three whole seasons have been completed, Hudson-Odoi has made just 60 appearances in the Premier League, which averages to just 20-per-campaign. Albeit, injury problems marred his 2021/22 campaign.
It's not what Hudson-Odoi would have envisaged when he put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at Chelsea. At 21 years old, he would have thought he would be a regular starter for Chelsea and one of the squad's most important players.
As we approach the 2022/23 season, though, Hudson-Odoi's future at Stamford Bridge is far from certain. He is now into the final two years of his contract. If he does stick around for another season and no extension is agreed, then next summer, he will find himself at a crossroads and potentially transfer listed, depending on how he fares in the next 12 months.
Thomas Tuchel has not used Hudson-Odoi as much as the player himself would have liked, as well as some of his adoring supporters. However, the German coach, when speaking last year, praised the winger for how good he has been but told him to make it count when called upon.
He said: "Callum's been fantastic for me. It's on him to show me that in every game and every day in training."
Hudson-Odoi will be hoping to get a strong pre-season under his belt as he continues to recover to full fitness. His opportunity in the first-team could well be hampered, though, if Chelsea manages to seal a double signing.
The Blues remain in talks with Manchester City over the signing of Raheem Sterling, football.london understands. Sources close to negotiations suggest the talks are going well, and there is a feeling from Chelsea and Manchester City that a deal can be struck for the England international.
Meanwhile, the Raphinha situation is a tad more complicated. Chelsea had an offer accepted by Leeds United earlier in the week, but personal terms between the player and the Blues are yet to be agreed. Raphinha wants to move to Barcelona, but the Catalan club are yet to send Leeds an offer as good as Chelsea's. The Brazilian apparently wants to delay proceedings until Barca and Leeds can reach an agreement over a fee.
If Raphinha does end up moving to Barcelona instead of Chelsea, then there's a chance that the Blues will turn their attention to Ousmane Dembele. The France international remains of interest to Chelsea and is now officially a free agent after his contract at Barca expired at the end of June.
Either way, the likelihood is that Chelsea will bring in two wide attackers this summer. On top of that, there's Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount and Timo Werner, who can all play out on the wing.
Pulisic, whose contract also expires in 2024, is in a similar position to Hudson-Odoi. It's well known that the American has been frustrated with his lack of playing time at Chelsea, especially last season.
There's no indication that Pulisic will leave the club this summer, meaning he is likely to enter the final year of his contract next summer. His value will continue to plummet, and it's a situation Chelsea will be keeping an eye on. The USA international will not be short of suitors, and if it's another campaign where he is a bit-part player, it's likely he will be open to leaving Stamford Bridge.
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