Maurizio Sarri has told Callum Hudson-Odoi to show “respect” to Chelsea and the club’s academy coaches who helped him develop into one of Europe’s most exciting talents.
Hudson-Odoi is set to stay at Stamford Bridge for the rest of the season at least, despite handing in a transfer request in an attempt to secure a move to Bayern Munich, and Sarri said he has been told by club executives that the 18-year-old will “very probably” be remaining at Chelsea beyond the summer.
“Callum is 18,” Sarri said. “He has to respect the club, the academy, everything. He has time. If you are one of the best young players in Europe, maybe the academy helped you, so you have to respect this.
“He is a very great player. He will become one of the best in Europe, but he has to respect the work of the academy coaches, I think.”
Sarri added that Chelsea will show greater patience to Hudson-Odoi than other clubs, insisting that Stamford Bridge remains the best place for his development.
‘In this window he will remain with us for sure, and very probably also in the next.’
Maurizio Sarri on Callum Hudson-Odoi… ?
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 29, 2019
“It’s his home,” Sarri said. “We will be patient with him because he is a boy from the academy. I don’t know if, at another club, people would be patient with him after five or six matches. It is very difficult to go to another country and adapt or play very well immediately.”
Asked why the situation is different for Eden Hazard, who has been stalling over his future as his Chelsea contract runs down, Sarri said: “Eden is 28. If he wants to go, I think he has to go. Of course, I hope the opposite. I hope he wants to stay here with us and improve.
Maurizio Sarri says Callum Hudson-Odoi will not be sold in this window or in the summer. pic.twitter.com/5hwVKPjxMi
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 29, 2019
Hazard could start alongside Gonzalo Higuain for the first time as Chelsea travel to Bournemouth tonight.