Chelsea REJECT loan bid with £70m option to buy from Bayern Munich for winger Callum…

Callum Hudson-Odoi is at the centre of an extraordinary power struggle between Chelsea and Bayern Munich after the European Champions made a huge bid, understood to be more than £70m, to take the 19-year-old to Germany.

Chelsea have turned down the offer, which was for Hudson-Odoi to join on loan this season with an option to buy him at a fixed price next summer but Bayern are expected to bid again before Monday’s deadline, determined to sign the player they came close to signing in January 2019. 

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard reiterated after the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace, in which Hudson-Odoi started and played well, that he wanted the winger to stay and the club is reluctant to let him go on loan now that he has broken back into the first team. 

But it is likely that the player will want to consider the Bayern move as he has become increasingly peripheral at Chelsea, after making an England debut at the age at 18 in March 2019, when he broke Duncan Edwards’ record of becoming the youngest player to make his England debut in a competitive game.

After signing a new contract at Chelsea in the summer of 2019, he came back from a serious Achilles injury but has seemed unlikely to start this season after the signings of Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, all of whom can play in wide positions, with Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic, when fit, also seemingly more likely to play.

By contrast Bayern manager Hansi Flick described Hudson-Odoi in glowing terms and it seems he is more wanted at Bayern, though Lampard attempted to dispel that notion after the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Bayern had an initial offer of more than £70million rejected for the England international

Hudson-Odoi played 83 minutes as Chelsea won 4-0 at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday

Flick said: ‘He is one of the greatest talents in that position. He can play wide and as a No.10 so it’s entirely legitimate that we at Bayern Munich are interested in him.’ Bayern have Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman to play wide but it is understood Hudson-Odoi is expected to start regularly at the club, which is a huge draw, given Bayern’s stature and current status.

Lampard said Chelsea would only let him go if it suited the club but also suggested Hudson-Odoi’s own wishes would be taken into account.

‘There is no definitive answer,’ said Lampard. ‘By Monday we’ll know the definitive answer. If Bayern have declared their interest that’s one thing. But everything that happens on Monday will be what is good for the club, because Callum’s our player.

Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick described the Chelsea youngster in glowing terms

Frank Lampard stressed that Chelsea would only let Hudson-Odoi leave if it suited the club

‘Also what Callum wants will come into consideration. At the minute I want Callum part of my squad, particularly when he’s offering up what he offered up in the second half and when he came on against West Brom.

‘I think Callum’s performance particularly in the second half today when he got more aggressive and got past his full back on the outside was exactly what he needs to show

‘Because Callum absolutely has the ability and pace and ability on the ball to do that and put crosses in which he started to do. Callum is absolutely part of our plans here. We have Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech to come back into play, we need options on the wings and I was very pleased with him.’