Chelsea attacker Callum Hudson-Odoi is reportedly set to make a decision on his future at the club this summer.
The 22-year-old has been regarded as one of the Blues' top academy talents in recent years, but he has failed to make a serious impact at Stamford Bridge so far.
Hudson-Odoi struggled to force his way into Thomas Tuchel's first XI on a regular basis last season, and he has spent the first half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen.
Hudson-Odoi has only come up with one goal and one assist in 15 appearances for the Bundesliga side, starting all six of their Champions League group-stage games but only five in the Bundesliga.
Leverkusen do not possess an option or obligation to make Hudson-Odoi's deal permanent, and the England international is therefore set to return to Chelsea at the end of the season.
© Reuters
With Hudson-Odoi's contract at Chelsea up in the summer of 2024, The Athletic states that the winger will come to a final decision on his future at the end of the season.
The report adds that several clubs across Europe have started to formally register their interest in Hudson-Odoi, and Chelsea could sanction a sale for a cut-price fee this summer.
Should Hudson-Odoi not be given an extension on his current terms, he will be able to enter pre-contract talks with foreign clubs in January of next year before departing as a free agent.
However, the report adds that the Englishman is giving little thought to his next career move at present and is only focused on improving his fortunes at Leverkusen in the coming months.
Hudson-Odoi has been a member of the Chelsea setup since 2007 and has made 126 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 16 goals and providing 22 assists in that time.
© Reuters
The 22-year-old has won the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge, but he only started 11 Premier League games last term, struggling with an Achilles injury in the second half of the season.
Hudson-Odoi could face significantly more competition for attacking spots at Stamford Bridge should he opt to stay, with Joao Felix, David Datro Fofana and Mykhaylo Mudryk all arriving in January.
Felix's loan from Atletico Madrid does not include an option or obligation to make the deal permanent, though, and several other attackers could be on their way out later in 2023.
Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are all expected to leave Chelsea, who are also said to be open to offers for Raheem Sterling, less than a year after bringing him to the club from Manchester City.
Kai Havertz has often been deployed as Chelsea's first-choice striker this season, but Bayern Munich are supposedly working on a deal to bring the ex-Leverkusen man back to Germany.
Ben Knapton
