Bayern bid £70m for Chelsea star

CALLUM Hudson-Odoi is at the centre of an extraordinary power struggle between Chelsea and Bayern Munich after the European champions made a bid understood to be more than £70million for the 19-year-old.

Chelsea have turned down the offer, which was a loan deal this season with an option to buy him next summer. But Bayern are determined to sign the player they came close to signing in January last year and are expected to bid again before tomorrow’s deadline.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard reiterated after the win over Crystal Palace that he wants the winger to stay. The club are reluctant to let him go on loan now that he is back in the first team.

It is likely that the player will want to consider the Bayern move as he has become increasingly peripheral at Chelsea but Bayern manager Hansi Flick describes Hudson-Odoi in glowing terms.

Flick said: ‘He is one of the greatest talents in that position. He can play wide and as a No 10 so it’s entirely legitimate that we at Bayern Munich are interested in him.’

Bayern have Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman to play wide but it is understood Hudson-Odoi could expect to start regularly. Lampard said: ‘Everything that happens on Monday will be what is good for the club, because Callum’s our player. Also what Callum wants will come into consideration.

‘At the minute I want Callum [as] part of my squad, particularly when he’s offering up what he offered up in the second half and when he came on against West Brom.

‘We need options on the wings and I was very pleased with him.