Callum Hudson-Odoi ‘a serious candidate’ for Bayern Munich revitalization project — report

Callum Hudson-Odoi’s reluctance to sign a contract extension is an ever-growing concern at Chelsea, and despite some increased involvement in the first-team lately (including a second straight Europa League start last night), it was only a matter of time before sharks started circling around the situation.

And it’s not any shark that’s jumped into the water already. It’s the biggest shark of them all, the Big Bargain-hunter Bayern. They have made Hudson-Odoi one of their priority targets for 2019, according to SportBild chief football editor, Christian Falk.

As laughable as this rumor might appear on first glance, within context, it’s a possibly intriguing, not-so-outlanding, and thus scary suggestion.

Bayern, currently just third in the Bundesliga and a whopping nine (9!) points behind Borussia Dortmund, are in dire need of revitalization, especially at the winger position. Right now, they still rely on the old pairing of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben along with Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman as their wingers. But Robben has confirmed that he is leaving Bayern at the end of the season and there are rumours that Ribery might follow suit.

Adding to their winger-woes is Coman’s injury history. Two ligament tears in his ankle in the same year has broken the 22-year-old’s spirit to the point where he even said that if he were to have another ankle injury again, he might consider leaving the world of football for good.

“If I need a third operation, I don’t think I’ll do it. If I hurt myself again (...) enough is enough! Maybe my foot isn’t made for the high level and I’ll move on with my life.”

-Kingsley Coman; Source: Bavarian Football Works

All this leaves former Arsenal prospect Serge Gnabry as possibly the only reliably confirmed option on the wing for next season. Adding Hudson-Odoi to this situation would be a bold move for Die Roten, but Bayern have bet big on youth before (the aforementioned Coman, or Renato Sanches, for example), and given the success of other young players in the BuLi (especially at BVB, with Jadon Sancho a massive positive example for the likes of Hudson-Odoi), this could be a very serious threat indeed.

Hudson-Odoi has 18 months left on his contract. Chelsea must do everything in the club’s power to resolve this situation before we lose yet another highly promising Academy graduate.