Update: Sky sources say Callum Hudson-Odoi has handed in a transfer request to Chelsea

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Bayern Munich will make yet another bid to secure the services of Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi. This time, the reported amount is £40m (€46m), an increase of £5m from the previous bid. The reason? Competition from fellow Bundesliga competitors RB Leipzig.

The report alleges that RB Leipzig are also interested in buying the player, but at the £20m, their bid is far lower than Bayern’s massive £40m. So, why is this a concern? Well, Chelsea want to insert a buyback clause in Hudson-Odoi’s contract, and Leipzig are willing to let them.

According to the Mail, the player still prefers to join Bayern Munich. However, if Chelsea are adamant, then things can change fast. For Hudson-Odoi, this saga has been all about moving to Germany to get more playing time, following the footsteps of his compatriot Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund. If Chelsea refuse to take Bayern’s deal, the youngster may decide to opt for Leipzig instead.

This is perhaps the most worrisome rumor that could have come out at this time. Because of their refusal to concede to a buyback clause, Chelsea could make it very difficult for Bayern to compete with another Bundesliga club, especially one such as RB Leipzig who have a history of strong youth development.

On the other hand, Leipzig simply cannot offer Hudson-Odoi the kind of salary Bayern can. With Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery both leaving this season, the Bavarians will have a lot of extra wages to give to new signings. However, the success of the transfer would solely depend on Hudson-Odoi rejecting both Chelsea and RB Leipzig and holding firm to his decision.

The player’s situation is complicated by the fact that, with Gonzalo Higuain’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, Eden Hazard can move back onto the flanks, pushing Hudson-Odoi even further down the depth chart. If Chelsea threaten him with the prospect of accepting Leipzig’s deal or sitting on the bench for six months (or even one and a half years, i.e. the remainder of his contract), would the youngster remain as committed to joining Bayern Munich?

We don’t know. The January transfer window closes in the next few days, maybe we’ll see a resolution by then.

Update

According to Sky Sports, Callum Hudson-Odoi has handed in a transfer request to move to Bayern Munich.

From their live transfer center:

BREAKING NEWS

Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi has today put in a transfer request to the club as he tries to secure a move to Bayern Munich, Sky Sports News has been told.

With less than a week left of the January transfer window, the 18-year old winger has refused to sign a new contract - reported to be worth £85,000 a week - and believes his future lies with the Bundesliga giants.

Chelsea have so far failed to respond to Bayern’s fourth bid for Hudson-Odoi, which is believed to be £35m.

Of course, this makes no mention of the increased bid reported by the Daily Mail. Also, let’s remind everyone that a transfer request isn’t a thing that forces a club to sell a player, so literally nothing has changed. Callum Hudson-Odoi remains a Chelsea player for the time being.