Chelsea have to be willing to sell Callum Hudson-Odoi if he won’t extend

If Frank Lampard isn’t enough to convince Callum Hudson-Odoi to sign a new contract, Chelsea should sell him now.

The transfer saga of Callum Hudson-Odoi is open once again, with another round of rumors of increasing offers from Bayern Munich. But if the return of Frank Lampard is not enough for him to sign the five-year contract people have been talking about since January, Chelsea should take the opportunity to sell.

As things stand, Callum Hudson-Odoi has no reason to turn down a contract extension at Chelsea. Frank Lampard, a former Chelsea player who rose through the ranks and became the best of the best, is now the manager. The club currently has a transfer ban in place. Aside from Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic, no other player will come into the team, which means Hudson-Odoi would have more than a fair chance to assert himself into the team.

Chelsea have been waiting for the right circumstances to offer Callum Hudson-Odoi a new contract to have more favorable odds of him signing it.

The circumstances now are more than ideal for the extension to happen. Frank Lampard has returned to the club and is more than likely to utilize the youngsters and give them the opportunity they deserve. Surely, Hudson-Odoi stands at the top Lampard’s list of players who can evolve into a regular starter this season and become a superstar in the coming years.

From the aspect of motivation, Frank Lampard may the only manager who could tell Hudson-Odoi that becoming a Chelsea legend through the years is more than a dream. After all, Lampard is the perfect example of what hard work, patience and good performances can achieve at Chelsea. The only differences are that Hudson-Odoi rose straight from the academy; and, unlike Lampard, his talent, at only 18 years of age, is highly regarded around the world.

But Chelsea’s transfer drama is always present, despite the transfer ban. Bayern Munich are reportedly back in the hunt to sign Hudson-Odoi for £45 million. For a player his age, and with the amount of experience he has under his belt, anything close to that figure would be hard to turn down. Selling the youngster for such an amount could allow the Blues to open spots for other academy prayers and, when the ban is lifted, buy another super star.

Furthermore, the Blues could also include a buy-back option into the sale, or even a hefty sell-on clause as future investment. That way, they will stand to win in the long run should the winger choose to move to the German giants.

But more importantly, Chelsea should not beg an 18-year old to stay while losing leverage on a contract deal. Nor does the club want to overpay a salary for a player that is half convinced on staying. After all, if Lampard leaves, it is very likely Hudson-Odoi will force a move sooner rather than later, putting Chelsea in a losing position.

If Chelsea cannot get Callum Hudson-Odoi to sign the contract towards the end of July, the board should consider Bayern Munich’s offer and allow the youngster to see if the grass is greener on the other side.

Although Chelsea should do everything in their power to keep Hudson-Odoi, it is preferable to avoiding a toxic relationship with the player and then losing him on a free transfer.