Out-of-favour Cobham graduate agrees deal with Fulham as Chelsea exit looms

Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi has agreed personal terms with Fulham ahead of a potential summer transfer

According to the Evening Standard, Callum Hudson-Odoi is now pushing to leave Chelsea this summer transfer window after agreeing personal terms with Premier League rivals Fulham. The 22-year-old has been training with the Blues U21 side of late and does not appear to be in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans.

Chelsea are hoping to collect a satisfactory transfer fee for the Cobham graduate and have urged Italian giants Lazio to join the race to trigger a bidding war. Former Blues manager Maurizio Sarri, now in charge of Lazio, is keen to reunite with the player in the Italian capital.

But Lazio have yet to contact the players and are assessing a loan move with an option to buy the 22-year-old. However, with his deal up next summer, it puts us at a disadvantage. It is in our best interests to offload him from our books this summer and reinvest the amount back into the squad.

The 22-year-old is on £120,000 a week salary, and getting it off our books will free up the wage cap. After all it is a hefty wage for a player who is far from certain to receive regular playtime in the 2023-24 season. Given that Hudson-Odoi was not taken to the USA for the pre-season tour, it is clear that Chelsea are keen to cut their losses.

His time at Chelsea looked particularly promising early on but it has now fallen by the wayside. The poor season long loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen has done little to enhance his reputation either. Now it would appear that he has reached the end of the road, at least in Blue.

Considering that he is only 22 and still has a long career ahead of him, Hudson-Odoi can certainly resurrect his career under the right manager. Joining Fulham is a step down from Chelsea but under Marco Silva, the Cottagers have showcased remarkable potential. There is reason to believe that the Chelsea man too can rediscover his best at Craven Cottage.

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Since Chelsea have several young players, it will be difficult for Hudson-Odoi to obtain meaningful playing time, which will undoubtedly impede his development. Therefore, it would be smart for him to join another club where he can play and which will contribute to his growth. It does not hurt that we also gain financially from the sale either.