Callum Hudson-Odoi is growing increasingly frustrated over his lack of playing time under embattled Chelsea Manager Maurizio Sarri and French outfit Paris Saint-Germain is his summer destination.
The 18-year-old has been frozen out at Chelsea since handing in a transfer request to join Bayern Munich last month, playing just 13 Premier League minutes since asking to leave but PSG have joined the race to sign him and they are currently the front-runners.
That lack of playing time has strengthened Hudson-Odoi’s desire to leave Stamford Bridge, with the Ligue 1 champions now joining Bayern in the race for his signature.
Hudson-Odoi was also left on the bench during Monday’s 2-0 home defeat by Manchester United in the FA Cup and his prospects of signing a new deal at Chelsea receded further after Gianfranco Zola’s comments that the winger is on the ‘edge of the team’ and ‘there aren’t many 18-year-olds in Europe playing as many games as him.’
Hudson-Odoi, the subject of a £35million bid from Bayern Munich in January, was already dispirited by Maurizio Sarri’s reluctance to use him, but Zola’s response to the six minutes he was given at Malmo in the Europa League on Thursday will have only strengthened his conviction that the coach doesn’t truly believe in him.
Bayern will bid again for him in April, though the player would wait until January 1 next year to sign for them if a fee is not agreed this summer.
If he moves in 2020, the year his contract runs out, Chelsea will get minimal compensation, compared to the £35m Bayern were willing to pay last month.
Hudson-Odoi did briefly seem to be making an impression on Sarri when he started the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Tottenham, but that came after Bayern’s £35m bid. He is still yet to start a Premier League match for Chelsea.