Callum Hudson-Odoi the new sensation in Chelsea’s faction. Sadly the Blues might lose him soon with the 18-year-old pushing for a transfer to Bayern Munich. But is the push for the Bavarians move a uniquely Chelsea tragedy?
Odoi is skilful, fast and is still 18; a perfect candidate to replace the ageing Arjen Robben. His match against Sheffield in January in FA Cup was a perfect showcase of his ability with the ball. Odoi’s skilful touch and finish to Christensen’s pass would have normally celebrated as the validation of a decade long work by the Chelsea academy.
But those who work hard in club’s youth setup know that even the happiest Stamford Bridge moment summed by their brightest graduate tend to be bittersweet. Although the 18-year-old has not opened up, he wants out and the German giant’s want him. The result of the two equation is Chelsea are on the brink of a disaster of their of making.
Jadon Sancho’s surprising rise among the Borussia Dortmund ranks is a horror show for all top Premier League clubs attempting to recruit young legs for the future. Munich had missed out Sancho to their domestic rivals and are now determined to sign their own English wonder kid. It is hard to imagine a more enticing talent like Odoi on the pitch and it is why Munich is so determined to get their hands on him.
However, Chelsea cannot blame their plight entirely on the Sancho storm. Whoever witnessed Hudson-Odoi destroying Arsenal during a preseason fixture would have never guessed him to wait until Boxing Day for his first Premier League appearance.
Reportedly, it was during this period that Maurizio Sarri did not consider Hudson-Odoi’s development important. And the Chelsea manager had his reasons. He came to Cobham less than a month before the new season, charged with instrumenting a radical style of football while returning the club to the top four.
When stakes are high and time to prove is less, tried and tested methods are the best. Consequently, Chelsea's charm attack only clicked into gear once, Munich’s interest in the English boy became evident.
He has enjoyed almost as many first team minutes (209) as he did in the previous five seasons, and Sarri trust is yet to translate into a Premier League regular for him.
If Sarri keeps resisting from giving Hudson-Odoi a start, Chelsea would lose one of the most potential players of the future. However, this seems unlikely given Gonzalo Higuain's arrival which has pushed Eden Hazard to the left wing, leaving Willian and Pedro fighting for the right wing position.
In the wider context, the Blues telling Hudson-Odoi to be patient lacks credibility. The reason for such a claim is Chelsea’s treatment towards Mohammed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne in the past. The duo after leaving Stamford Bridge have shattered oppositions with their skills for Liverpool and Manchester City respectively.
There was a time under Jose Mourinho when Marcus Rashford was a forgotten talent but with Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s arrival, the youngster has been rated a superior prospect.
Stardom is only attained when talent meets with opportunity. The 18-year-old has no reason to trust that staying at Chelsea will boost his chances. Nor does he have cause to be confident with Chelsea buying Christian Pulisic.
The mindset at Stamford Bridge and other clubs are always to give chances to big-money signings over academy product. However, this strategy does not always turn out to be a success-- as in the cases of Alvaro Morato, Tiemoue Bakayoko among others.
If Hudson-Odoi goes to Allianz Arena, he will be a big signing and not an academy product. His new club will be more inclined in giving their investment more chances than his old one. But with the January transfer window shut and the Summer window still over two months away, Chelsea can hope that Sarri changes his mind. However, if a talent like Hudson-Odoi is allowed to slip away, the entire administration at Cobham will be questioned.
