Callum Hudson-Odoi ‘close to a loan move’ with Newcastle United an interested party – BBC Sport | OneFootball

Callum Hudson-Odoi is now close to a loan move as he looks to get some regular first team football.

BBC Sport report that Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United  and Southampton are amongst the interested parties.

Callum Hudson-Odoi would be a great signing (in my opinion), definitely a credible option if he becomes one of the attacking signings Newcastle are looking to make.

Chelsea have been very active in the transfer window, buying in players both young and more experienced, further squeezing the chances for homegrown players such as Hudson-Odoi

The winger hasn’t played so far this season and made the bench as an unused sub in one of the two Premier League matches so far.

BBC Sport say their information is that Chelsea don’t want to lose Callum Hudson-Odoi permanently but will loan him out.

They also report that the player is on £120,000+ a week, so Newcastle United, or any other club, would need to cover those wages plus whatever loan fee Chelsea would want.

Chelsea are continuing to sign attacking players with the likes of Raheem Sterling arriving, plus a £45m bid in for Everton’s Anthony Gordon. For Callum Hudson-Odoi and indeed other current fringe attacking players at Stamford Bridge, such as Christian Pulisic who has also been linked with Newcastle, the message looks to be pretty clear.

If Newcastle United do indeed follow up their interest, it would be great if any loan deal did have an option to buy at a set price, if everything worked out. Chelsea might not be desperate to sell Callum Hudson-Odoi but if the right offer is made, whether as part of an initial loan bid or indeed a permanent one now, I can see them letting him go.

Callum Hudson-Odoi is one of those players that seems to have been around a long time, yet is still only 21.

Checking back, he was only just over two months past his 17th birthday when first playing Premier League minutes back in January 2018.

So he has been around for four years in terms of a Premier League presence but like many a Chelsea player, Callum Hudson-Odoi finding it difficult to become a regular starter.

A regular turnover of managers, loads of players signed, whilst others coming through their youth system.

The net result is that these past three seasons have seen seven, ten and eleven Premier League starts for the winger, whilst named on the bench 52 times in these last three years in PL games.

Even though he is still only 21, Callum Hudson-Odoi now maybe already at a major crossroads in his career. Last season he did have injury issues but even so, still no real suggestion he is going to ever become an automatic first choice player for Chelsea.

His productivity / end product has dropped as well, in 2019/20 despite only seven Premier League starts there were six PL direct goal involvements (one goal and five assists), in 2020/21 it was ten PL starts and five direct goal involvements (scored two, assisted three), then last (2021/22) PL season it was eleven starts but only three PL direct goal involvements (one goal, two assists).

With England he looked a massive prospect and Callum Hudson-Odoi made his senior debut aged only 18 in 2019, playing three times for the senior side. The young winger then playing regularly for the England Under 21s but the last appearance for them was 17 months ago and no sign of a progression back to the senior squad. Surely only regular first team football in the early part of the new season will give him any chance of making the plane to Qatar.

Also, you have to take into account that up to this point, Callum Hudson-Odoi has been a bonus player for Chelsea in the Premier League, counted as an under 21 player and able to be used over and above the official 25 man official PL squad.

This coming season, under 21s are players born after 1 January 2001, Callum Hudson-Odoi was born on 7 November 2000 and will turn 22 in four months time, with any Premier League club having to include him in their senior PL squad. With so many players and so much competition at Chelsea, no guarantees that the winger would even make the cut.

Personally, I would love to see Callum Hudson-Odoi at Newcastle United, with him and ASM on the wings, Wilson through the middle and a lot of pace and potential threat there.