Anthony Gordon, Chelsea & £50M gamble: Just what does Callum Hudson-Odoi make of this? | OneFootball

COMMENT: £40m? £45m? The effort made by Chelsea to land Anthony Gordon is reaching extremes - and we're not just talking cash outlay here...

The latest is Chelsea will go to £50m and convince Everton to sell. Gordon is a good player. A potentially great one. But after barely a season of regular senior football under his belt, no-one can say he's a sure thing.

But beyond the hype. The numbers. There's someone being ignored in this very public chase. Similar age. Similar position. Though boasts slightly more experience. You just wonder what Callum Hudson-Odoi and his camp are making of all this...

Is Gordon a better prospect than Hudson-Odoi? Does he have greater potential? Is the answer worth a £50m gamble? For this column, we can't split them. Indeed, put side by side, we'd say there's a greater chance of Hudson-Odoi fulfilling his potential in a Chelsea shirt than Gordon moving south, settling in and doing the same.

But Thomas Tuchel has made his choice. Clearly. The Chelsea manager has sought - at least on paper - an identikit of what he seeks in an English winger and in his eyes, Gordon is the superior option. Hudson-Odoi, with this move, has effectively been written off.

At 21, the inconsistency, the form slump, it's something every player experiences at Hudson-Odoi's age. It's what awaits Gordon, whether he leaves Everton or not. It's natural. It's football. And is a test of the player and his support network of how he emerges from it.

Tuchel knows this. He pointed it out just this week when pushed about Hudson-Odoi's situation. He highlighted the injury problems his winger had had last season. He hinted at the pitfalls players of his age must always endure. Yet, he doesn't appear to have the patience to wait for him.

"Callum competes, he had a long-term injury and long-term problems to overcome so that's from where he suffered," said Tuchel. "I think he has still a long way to go to live up to his potential because the potential is huge.

"Having Raheem [Sterling] in can maybe give him the extra boost to step and see what is needed on these kind of positions to reach the level that he wants to reach and that he can reach. At the moment he's our player and he needs to fight and fight."

But it appears those words were hollow. Tuchel just isn't interested. And it's mad. There's no other word for it. In terms of promise. Of potential. Hudson-Odoi is the best of his generation. At 21, he could be anything. Yet Tuchel is already giving up on him.

Indeed, the manager won't even give Hudson-Odoi a chance to compete with Gordon and prove him wrong. Instead, Chelsea have put the three-cap England international up for sale. Yeah, the soundings from the club have been about a loan. But for the right offer, Chelsea will sell. They'll have to. Given the outlay made by Todd Boehly so far this summer market, Chelsea do need a major sale to satisfy Financial Fair Play demands. If a club is willing to go that extra mile, Hudson-Odoi will be encouraged to cut all ties.

Of course, we've been here before. Indeed, just a year ago Tammy Abraham found himself in a similar situation with Romelu Lukaku's arrival. Yet out of the three personalities involved, it was the one who was shuffled out the backdoor who ended up on top as a record-breaker with AS Roma.

Tuchel has managed to avoid scrutiny for that decision. Just as he is now for this pursuit of Gordon. In isolation, you can understand it. Support it. As we say, Gordon is an exciting talent. An entertainer. A great worker with a great attitude. This column has brought you this via Gordon's work with local skills coach Tom Owens. He has everything in his locker to become a special player. A marquee winger.

But then, so does Hudson-Odoi. The difference being, at Everton Gordon has found himself a manager in Frank Lampard who clearly believes in him. Who recognised the potential of the player and backed him. For Hudson-Odoi, just like Abraham, he's found the opposite case with Tuchel. The German infamously even trying to convert him into a wing-back in the early stages of their relationship.

For Tuchel, Hudson-Odoi just doesn't fit. Even at 21. The manager would rather gamble £50m on virtually the same player from Merseyside and bring him south, than commit anymore time to helping the local reach his potential.

Hudson-Odoi and his support team must realise now where they stand. Like Abraham before him, the best decision Hudson-Odoi can make is to get out and prove his Chelsea manager wrong.