Chelsea
Premier League • England
Talented Chelsea youngster in limbo after falling out of favour; Potter could look to offload him this summer
Chelsea loanee Callum Hudson-Odoi is facing an uncertain future as he struggles for minutes at Bayer Leverkusen, with a Blues breakthrough looking unlikely.
The 22-year-old arrived at the German club with high expectations after showing promise for the Premier League giants, but has struggled to make an impact so far.
With Chelsea making several big signings this season, it seems unlikely that Hudson-Odoi will break into Potter’s future plans, leaving him in limbo.
Indeed, after a fairly positive start at Leverkusen, the youngster has played just 124 minutes across all competitions since the turn of the year after falling down the pecking order.
The German club’s sporting director Simon Rolfes has also claimed that Hudson Odoi will have to show a lot more promise to get back into the starting XI.
Rolfes said: “He has to show consistency, go into dangerous areas and become a goal threat himself.
“He has to show a lot more presence. He can do a lot more there. He has the technical qualities for it.”
Also, things are also set to become a lot more difficult for Hudson-Odoi, with the likes of Florian Wirtz, Patrik Schick, Karim Bellarabi and Sardar Azmoun close to regaining full fitness.
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Hudson-Odoi unlikely to break into Potter’s plans
As a result of his recent poor form, it seems increasingly unlikely that Leverkusen will pursue a permanent deal for him, so he looks set to return to Chelsea in the summer.
The youngster’s deal at Stamford Bridge is set to expire in June 2024, so there is a good chance that the Blues will look to offload him as soon as possible to recoup some transfer funds, according to Sky Sports Germany.
Alternatively, Hudson-Odoi could opt to remain at Chelsea, and fight for a spot in the first team, but as mentioned, the arrival of several big-money signings will make this very difficult.
He is a versatile player, with the ability to play as an attacking midfielder, or as a winger on either flank.
But, after bringing in the likes of Raheem Sterling, Mykaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke this season, he will do well to break into Potter’s starting XI.
Chelsea are also reportedly considering making Joao Felix’s loan deal at Stamford Bridge a permanent one, which will only give Hudson-Odoi more competition to contend with.
If the Blues do opt to sell the attacker this summer, though, several Premier League clubs may be interested in making a cut-price swoop.
Last summer, Newcastle were heavily linked with a move for Hudson-Odoi last summer, so Eddie Howe could potentially reignite his pursuit in the coming months.
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