Chelsea make decision over Callum Hudson-Odoi loan recall
By Tom Gott
Chelsea have allowed the deadline to recall Callum Hudson-Odoi from his loan with Bayer Leverkusen to pass, meaning the winger will remain in Germany until the end of the season.
The Blues are seeking attacking reinforcements in January, particularly after the season-ending injury to Armando Broja, and had been tipped to recall Hudson-Odoi from his stint in Germany.
However, the deadline to trigger the recall option in his contract has now expired and Bayer sporting director Simon Rolfes has now confirmed Hudson-Odoi will remain with the club for the next six months.
“We assumed that Callum would stay, but now we also have the certainty that he will stay with us,” Rolfes told Bild. “We’re happy about that, because he’s a very important player for us. We're still expecting a lot from Callum over the course of the season."
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Bayer had a challenging start to the season but have begun finding their form under new manager Xabi Alonso, who stressed before the World Cup break that he wanted to keep Hudson-Odoi around beyond January.
"I really want to keep him," the former midfielder confessed. "I am convinced that he will stay until the end of the season. He's an important player for us."
As for Chelsea, they have already struck a deal to sign Christopher Nkunku in the summer but are exploring their options in January.
Borussia Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko is a significant target as he approaches the end of his contract, while a deal to sign Molde's David Datro Fofana is progressing well.