Bayern Munich considering fresh bid for Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi
By Tom Gott
Get your transfer window bingo cards out, we've got another to cross off here as Bayern Munich have been tipped to lodge another bid for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.
This never-ending saga first began back in January 2019, before Hudson-Odoi had really broken through at Stamford Bridge. Bids of over £30m were lodged but Chelsea knocked them all back and eventually tied the young winger down to a bumper new contract which still has three years left to run.
Since putting pen to paper, however, things haven't gone as planned for Hudson-Odoi, who has struggled to force his way into Chelsea's starting lineup. He made 37 appearances in all competitions last season, but just 19 of those came as a starter and most were under Frank Lampard, not current boss Thomas Tuchel.
Exploratory talks with Borussia Dortmund have been held, revolving around the Blues' interest in both Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho, but Constantin Eckner claims that Bayern are keen to force their way into the picture.
Bayern have long seen Hudson-Odoi as a future superstar in Sancho's mould and have continued to track the 20-year-old amid his struggles for consistent minutes.
Whether Chelsea would be prepared to do business over the young forward is unclear. The Telegraph state that the Blues are reluctant to let Hudson-Odoi leave this summer, instead encouraging suitors to pursue another homegrown talent, £40m-rated striker Tammy Abraham.
The Guardian add that Hudson-Odoi himself would prefer to remain at Chelsea and fight for his spot in Tuchel's team moving forward.
Under Tuchel, Hudson-Odoi has been used as both a right wing-back and as a ten, but despite being the only academy graduate to start the boss' first game, he failed to retain that spot as the season progressed.
His chances of game time going forward were not boosted by the news that Tuchel is on the lookout for another right-sided player, with Wolves' Adama Traore and Gladbach's Jonas Hofmann both on his wish list.
Tuchel is understood to be considering a formation change next season, and that could be the key to more minutes for Hudson-Odoi.