Booth Claims Manchester United Could Go For Chelsea Winger If They Miss Out On Sancho: Wise Move For Ole? | OneFootball

In a recent Q&A, Manchester Evening News‘ Dominic Booth has claimed that Manchester United could orchestrate a move to acquire the services of Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea if they fail to land Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho this summer. Booth went on to state (via Manchester Evening News),

“Sancho would be the one for United, but if he goes elsewhere or stays at Dortmund, I could see them going for Callum Hudson-Odoi. He’s rated by Frank Lampard at Chelsea, but hasn’t really made a huge impact this season and would be exactly what United want: raw pace, youth and lots of ability. He was briefly considered last summer before signing a new contract.”

A Season Of Mixed Emotions For Hudson-Odoi

Hudson-Odoi has missed a lot of football this season due to an Achilles tendon rupture and later, a hamstring injury. However, he has still put in a string of memorable displays for Frank Lampard’s side in the Premier League so far. The 19-year-old has scored four goals and provided six assists in 27 matches for the Blues this term on all fronts which goes to show how productive he has been despite receiving less than 1500 minutes of playing time in this campaign.

The English prospect has averaged 1.3 shots, 1.1 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game in league football and the UEFA Champions League this season (stats via whoscored). The numbers highlight his growing influence in the Chelsea first-team. However, Hudson-Odoi still has a lot to learn if he wants to improve himself and be a success story in English football. The talented teenager has also earned three senior caps for Gareth Southgate’s England national team so far. However, he is yet to open his goal-scoring account for his country.

What Will The English Speedster Add To Solskjaer’s Team?

Hudson-Odoi is one of the quickest players in the Chelsea squad. He can turn on his afterburners to get the better of his marker down the wide areas and is also quite tidy with his ball-distribution after completing 85.1% of his attempted passes in the Premier League this season (stats via whoscored). However, the English youngster can sometimes be a bit wasteful in the final third as he is still an inexperienced winger who is eager to leave his mark at the highest level.

Will Recruiting Hudson-Odoi Be A Wise Option For The Red Devils?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in dire need of freshening up his attacking options in the summer if he intends to build a strong squad capable of challenging across all competitions next season. Hudson-Odoi will be a wise choice for the Red Devils as he has the ceiling to become a household name in English football someday. The Chelsea youth product is an excellent fall-back option if Solskjaer fails to win the race to sign Sancho in the off-season.

Hudson-Odoi will not only bring more goals and creativity to Old Trafford but also something different for them going forward. He could add another dimension to Solskjaer’s attack and also offer the Norwegian manager the freedom to be more experimental with his tactics and team selection in the coming years.