West Ham United can offer dream career platform for Callum Hudson-Odoi as transfer news emerges
West Ham United have made an enquiry over the availability of Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi and the Hammers can offer him a dream chance at a career revival.
The Blues academy graduate was sent out on a season-long loan to Bayer Leverkusen last term in the hope of finding him some regular game time but struggled to impress scoring just once in 21 appearances in all competitions.
With his contract at Stamford Bridge expiring at the end of the next campaign, new boss Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly set to hold crunch talks [Daily Express, 24 June] with the 22-year-old this week regarding his future.
And according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, writing in his Caught Offside substack column (27 June), the Hammers along with several other Premier League clubs have enquired about his availability at Stamford Bridge.
The Guardian reported on 28 June, that the £120,000-per-week winger could cost around £15m to prize him away from Chelsea and that West Ham United are indeed monitoring his services, with Harvey Barnes the priority attacking target.
With the Irons set to undergo a massive squad rebuild following the expected departures of Declan Rice, Michail Antonio, Tomas Soucek and a few others, manager David Moyes may well be tempted to splash the cash considerably, and one area in desperate need of addressing is in the attacking areas both the striker position and out-wide.
West Ham United have certainly made their intentions known through interest in Leicester City’s 13-goal maestro in Barnes, but in order for them to challenge on all fronts next season, Moyes may need more than one attacking signing and he may just have the cash for it too.
Hudson-Odoi, in desperate need of a career refresh after some tough spells in Germany and back at Chelsea in previous campaigns, may not find a better opportunity to make his name again than at the London Stadium.
Despite his struggles at Leverkusen last year, there still remains a special talent in the 22-year-old – one which West Ham United will know very well. Last season, he ranked in the 87th percentile for progressive carries highlighting incredible 1v1 dribbling qualities and the ability to push his team up the pitch, but he also recorded 3.86 shot-creating actions per league game which was the third-highest total throughout Xabi Alonso’s squad, via FBRef.
Hudson-Odoi would further add excellent versatility to Moyes’ ranks next season, with his ability to operate all across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield.
More crucially, the Hammers will be on a European adventure next season meaning he’d be sure to pick the Irons over any other Premier League suitor but also the London Stadium will gift him the perfect platform to kickstart his career again.
Hudson-Odoi is still 22-years-old, is homegrown, Premier League proven and still possesses all the unique gifts in the world making this potential acquisition a no-brainer for West Ham United and Moyes.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are now in pole position to land a Premier League-established winger with a £40m price tag on his head.