Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi linked to German giants
Chelsea fans have heard about the loan army ad nauseam over the years. This summer has seen many supporters grow outraged with the development strategy as players like Tammy Abraham depart while Danny Drinkwater remains on the books. The loan army is of the utmost importance to the club though and without it, the Blues would not be where they are today. Crucial members of the first team—Andreas Christensen, Mason Mount and Reece James, for example—used loans to grow as players. This time spent out on loan both at home and abroad helped mold them into the stars they are today.
It’s rare to see a player come through the ranks at Cobham and go straight into the first team. The absolute cream of the crop, John Terry, even spent a brief period at Nottingham Forest. Callum Hudson-Odoi is that rarity. The England U21 made the smooth transition from the academy to the senior squad in 2017 under Antonio Conte, but got his big break under Maurizio Sarri the following campaign. He has yet to establish himself as an important member of the starting XI and now that uncertainty around his place in the team has some questioning his future.
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Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is being linked to Dortmund as the German club attempts to persuade him to join on a season-long loan
Hudson-Odoi’s short-term future will lie in the hands of both the player and manager Thomas Tuchel. Sky Sports broke the news on Saturday night that German giant Borussia Dortmund is interested in bringing the young winger in on a one-year loan. Hudson-Odoi has been subject to a lot of interest from Germany over the last few years. Not long ago, it looked as if the 20-year-old could move to Bayern Munich, but he opted to stay with his boyhood club.
A loan move for Hudson-Odoi is best case scenario this season, especially to somewhere like Dortmund. The versatile playmaker has been praised by Tuchel as an important piece of the current Chelsea team on numerous occasions. Actions speak louder than words though. As it stands, Hudson-Odoi is the No. 3 option at every position he plays. Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech have all gotten minutes over him as wingers; Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta are also higher than him on the right wingback depth chart. This means Hudson-Odoi will struggle to see the pitch during such a crucial time in his development—the Blues can only benefit from letting him go temporarily.
Dortmund has earned a reputation for being one of Europe’s best talent developers of young talent. BVB has seen players like Ousmane Dembele, Mats Hummels and Jadon Sancho (to name a few) grow into world class talents while wearing the black and yellow. The current team is chock-full of world class talent, as well. Erling Haaland, Gio Reyna and Jude Bellingham are all blossoming with Dortmund and the addition of Hudson-Odoi could turn the club into legitimate contenders. Reyna has largely stepped into the void left by Sancho’s departure, but he’s also capable of playing midfield. Hudson-Odoi’s versatility would work in his favor as there’s no doubt Marco Rose could find a place for him in the starting XI.
Many Chelsea fans will be put off by the idea given how the Haaland transfer saga played out. However, this is a golden opportunity for one of Cobham’s finest academy graduates to grow his game at the top level. Tuchel’s squad for the 2021/22 campaign is two-to-three players deep at every position. It’s going to be difficult to fit Hudson-Odoi into the schedule at one set position, so the Blues may need to swallow their pride and let him embark on a loan for the first time in his young career.
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