Manchester United and England legend Rio Ferdinand has urged youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi to leave Chelsea at the end of the season. The 18-year-old has only been used sparingly by the Blues this season and played five times in the Premier League thus far. In spite of this, he is one of the brightest young talents in English football and has been touted to have a bright future ahead of him.
Hudson-Odoi has been admirers in Germany and was reportedly a January transfer target of Bayern Munich. He even reportedly wanted to move to the Bundesliga giants, though the Blues turned down the move. Munich made a move for him in January and they will likely move again at the end of the season especially considering that the players contract will expire during the summer of 2020, meaning that if Chelsea do not sell this summer, they will lose him cheaply next season or in the worst case scenario, on a free at the end of next term.
It is very easy to see why Hudson-Odoi may be tempted to move to Germany especially when you consider the success that Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Hoffenheim’s Reiss Nelson have enjoyed. Both players struggled to earn regular game time with Manchester City and Arsenal respectively but are now shining in the Bundesliga. Sancho has even managed to work his way into the England senior side due to his impressive displays for Dortmund.
Chelsea will be trying hard to persuade Hudson-Odoi to stay, especially as they have been slapped with a two-window transfer ban by FIFA. This means that they may be only able to sign new players ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Ferdinand believes that Hudson-Odoi should leave Chelsea. As quoted by Metro, he said: “Not if I was starting.
“If I was starting at Chelsea every week or at least getting regular minutes, I’d say, ‘No’.
“Chelsea is a big club. He’s at home in London. He is a fantastic young English talent in the little snippets we have seen of him.
“I don’t know how he doesn’t get more game time. If I was him, and I am not getting game time, and seeing Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson flying in Germany, other young players who are getting game time in teams who I would consider myself better than, I’d be gone.
“I would be saying, ‘I am going’. I’d want to feel that I have a real chance of getting in the first team and opportunities.
“Under Sarri, until now, I think he will be sitting there thinking: ‘I don’t feel part of his plans properly when I feel I am ready now’.”
