With the World Cup over and the Premier League on the verge of returning, it is quickly becoming apparent the football world is once again nearing the transfer window. The pause in much domestic play will have allowed for plenty of conversations in preparation and with 10 days to go, the intensity of conversations will be ramping up.
Indeed, some are already wrapped up. Chelsea confirmed to Bayern Leverkusen that Callum Hudson-Odoi would be staying in Germany for the remainder of the season and that they do not intend to recall the winger who departed on loan before Graham Potter took over at Stamford Bridge.
Other players' immediate futures appear to remain ongoing, with conversations expected between Chelsea and Hull over the prospects of Harvey Vale, Xavier Simons and Nathan Baxter in the final week of the year. That plan follows Liam Rosenoir's initial conversations with the Blues, with Vale and Simons both struggling for playing time on Humberside. Vale made it into the first team squad for the weekend's draw with Sunderland, but Simons missed out.
READ MORE: Wesley Fofana suffers knee injury in Chelsea vs Brentford friendly
There will be considerations elsewhere too. Last January saw Jamie Cummings end his loan move with Gillingham and head to MK Dons, showing that the Blues are unafraid to find a better option, even when things are progressing well.
However, there may be instances this term where Chelsea are forced to consider the position of their players. Tiemoue Bakayoko has yet to play a minute this season with Milan, with the prospect of a clause making his two-year loan permanent.
The midfielder instead seems set to return to Chelsea in the summer, with his agent seemingly preparing for another move, and will have one year remaining on his contract at that point. Whether any value can be extracted from the Frenchman should his season continues as it is, may be a concern for the Blues.
Likewise, Malang Sarr is not wholly content with his contributions in Ligue 1 with Monaco, and appears be looking to see if a move elsewhere is feasible. Though, with a deal until 2025 there is less pressure on Chelsea in this situation.
There will be other players to consider too, however, if Chelsea have the options. Levi Colwill has started just once in the Premier League for Brighton; Jayden Wareham has featured just five times for Leyton Orient; while goalkeeper Ethan Wady has not played for Woking, albeit his progress has also been hampered by injury.
Many would argue that Colwill would still have an opportunity of making Chelsea's XI, particularly with the possibility of a setback for Wesley Fofana. However, the Brighton loanee has proved impressive in his sparse outings for the Seagulls and there remains an argument that the time he has spent settling in there ready to push on, will have been wasted. That is a risk for a number of stars, when if an alternative arrangement is looked for, the process must begin all over again.
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