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The fallout from Bayern Munich’s attempt to acquire Callum Hudson-Odoi has spread to Chelsea’s youth ranks according to a report by The Mirror.
As Hudson-Odoi would seemingly rather uproot himself and move to Germany rather than linger on the bench at Stamford Bridge any longer, parents of Chelsea’s youth players are losing faith that there is a true developmental path to the first team within the club.
Interestingly, Chelsea’s acquisition of Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic is also part of the issue and has helped stoke the fire even more. According to the Mirror,
There is growing discontent within the Blues’ youth ranks with several parents concerned about the message Hudson-Odoi’s potential sale sends out to their kids.
A number of families back the 18-year-old’s insistence that he wants out and are themselves considering stalling on long-term contracts that could lock their youngsters into situations they too feel frustrated with.
Chelsea is claiming that Bayern’s interest in Hudson-Odoi is proof of their academy’s success, “but some parents in the academy are unconvinced,” since it signed other young members of the first team already as teenagers and even in their late teens. The signing of Christian Pulisic from Dortmund for a whopping €64 million also supposedly feels like “a slap in the face for the talents in the Blues’ youth ranks,” not just to Hudson-Odoi himself.
Meanwhile, yesterday it was reported that Chelsea is losing hope in its ability to keep Hudson-Odoi from a potential move. Of course, Chelsea is also reportedly mulling over whether or not to submit a complaint to FIFA over Bayern’s approach in its effort to procure Hudson-Odoi. This story will obviously keep evolving until a final decision is made by the player and both clubs.
For Chelsea’s youth academy parents, however, the outcome will probably serve as a cautionary tale as they try to seek out what is best for their own children.