As excitement builds over the future of 17-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi, who’s set to stay and play with the Chelsea first-team this season, the future of Charly Musonda Jr, once in Hudson-Odoi’s position as the most promising young prospect at the club, stands in stark contrast.
After yet another failed loan in the second-half of last season at Celtic, Charly’s preseason hasn’t been full of too many successes either. He’s fallen well down the pecking order even among youth prospects, and was not even selected for the traveling squad for the friendly against Arsenal in Dublin. (Lucas Piazon went instead.)
With four years left on the contract he signed back in December, Musonda is probably set for another loan. At just 21, there’s still time to recover his career from its current Kakuta-esque depths. But the turnaround needs to happen soon.
Anderlecht are apparently interested, as per reports from La Dernière Heure and Het Nieuwsblad. The Belgian league isn’t exactly the pinnacle of the European game, but at this point, Musonda desperately needs minutes.
Anderlecht want to sign Charly Musonda Jr on loan [@Nieuwsblad_be]
— Chelsea Loan Army (@ChelseaLoanArmy) August 1, 2018
https://t.co/277Eq3DZbj
Chelsea are supposedly being extra careful in handling Musonda’s future, but that could actually just be cover for Musonda’s once again growing displeasure at his own situation.
In fact, other reports paint a more dramatic picture, claiming that the 21-year-old may be on his way out permanently. AC Milan, Inter Milan and AS Roma all monitoring, if a report penned by DH journalist Romain van der Pluym is to be believed.
Charly Musonda wants to leave Chelsea permanently [@RomVanderPluym]
— Chelsea Loan Army (@ChelseaLoanArmy) August 2, 2018
https://t.co/4d0yCh8vmQ
Chelsea might be against such a hasty move. But with every passing year, it feels that we are getting closer and closer to the inevitable breaking point between club and player. Maybe we’re closer than we think?