BLUES BIDDING WAR FOR HUDSON-ODOI
CHELSEA’S reluctance to sell Callum HudsonOdoi to Bayern Munich could prompt a bidding war for the winger. The 18-year-old is keen to join Bayern but Chelsea suspect the Germans may have been bending the rules by directly contacting the player’s family, who are also his advisers. Such contact would contravene transfer rules but clubs often turn a blind eye in the knowledge that they have, or will, do something similar. Sportsmail revealed Bayern’s move to sign Hudson-Odoi last week and Chelsea have snubbed three offers, the latest of about £30million. The Blues are trying to tempt the England Under 19 international with a new five-year deal and assistant manager Gianfranco Zola said: ‘He has to think long-term. We have two very good players but both are over 30 — Pedro and Willian. We value them a lot but there will be a moment in which probably Callum will overtake them. ‘The alternative is to go somewhere and you start again.’ So far Hudson-Odoi has refused new terms and there are concerns that his head has been turned by Bayern. As a result, Chelsea are reluctant to sell to the Germans and are trying to entice rival offers. A £40million fee could persuade Chelsea to sell — a huge sum given that he has not made a Premier League start. Chelsea also want a buy-back clause and Bayern’s rivals are said to be prepared to agree to that. Chelsea are not planning an official complaint and HudsonOdoi is set to play today in the FA Cup tie at home to Nottingham Forest.