Bayern Munich abandon pursuit of Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi
By Tom Gott
Bayern Munich have decided against pursuing a move for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer.
A long-term target for the German side, Hudson-Odoi's future is up in the air yet again after struggling to make a major impact under new boss Thomas Tuchel. He started just seven of the 19 league games under Tuchel, four of which came in the first five matches.
A move away from Stamford Bridge, either permanently or on loan, has been rumoured, and it was recently revealed that Bayern were keen to reignite their interest in a player who they tried to sign for £35m in January 2019.
Well, the same source who first mentioned Bayern's fresh interest, Constantin Eckner, has now ended the fun by stating that Bayern have decided against making a move for the 20-year-old because of his high wages.
After snubbing Bayern's advances, Chelsea tied Hudson-Odoi down to a new contract which is worth well over £100,000-a-week (some reports have suggested he takes home twice that), and the German side are not interested in matching that.
A potential move to Germany could still be on the cards for Hudson-Odoi. Borussia Dortmund are sniffing around as a potential replacement for Jadon Sancho, who is likely to join Manchester United in the coming weeks, but Ruhr Nachrichten believe another Englishman could be given the nod, PSV Eindhoven's Noni Madueke.
It leaves Hudson-Odoi in purgatory this summer. He is battling to convince Tuchel of his worth to the team, and there have been conflicting reports of how he feels. Some believe he is happy to stay and fight, while others feel as though he is ready to move on.
If he stays, Tuchel will have to decide in which position he sees Hudson-Odoi's future. Initially billed as a right wing-back, the 20-year-old lost that spot to Reece James and is unlikely to win it back, with Tuchel looking at new signings in that role.
Inter's Achraf Hakimi was a major target but is heading to Paris Saint-Germain, leaving Chelsea to consider backup targets like Wolves' Adama Traore or Gladbach's Jonas Hofmann.
There's also academy starlet Valentino Livramento vying for that spot in the squad, while reports suggest Tuchel has also taken a liking to 21-year-old Dujon Sterling.