Chelsea are keen to attach a buy-back clause in Callum Hudson-Odoi’s transfer to FC Bayern Munich, with the Bavarians reluctant to meet their demands.
According to The Times, Chelsea are eager to add a buy-back clause in Callum Hudson Odoi’s deal as he nears his move to FC Bayern Munich. However, it is believed that the Bavarians are unwilling to meet their demands, which could complicate things as we head into the halfway part of the winter transfer window.
In the past, the Blues have lost a host of talented players due to not having a buy-back clause in their contracts, including Romelu Lukaku and Hudson-Odoi, it seemed, would be the next one following their footsteps.
However, the recent developments could change the course of the deal and from Bayern’s perspectives, it seems rather unconventional to agree to Chelsea’s buyback demands considering their usual methods in the transfer market.
The German champions are apparently searching for a long-term replacement for both of their old guards in Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. While Robben has already confirmed he’ll be leaving the club after the end of the season, Ribery’s decline has been evident.
And although Hudson-Odoi did seem like an appealing long-term replacement for either of those two world-class wingers, the Bavarians will have more than one reason to cut the deal off due to Chelsea’s audacious demands.
For one, the English whizkid is rather untested in the highest level of football, despite showing immense potential in the youth leagues. As a matter of fact, the 18-year-old has mustered just over 500 minutes of competitive football with Chelsea and is yet to make a breakthrough for any Premier League outfit.
As opposed to which, Bayern’s current stars in Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry are both proven talents, who have made their marks in top flight football way before they were considered for the first-team action for Bayern.
And if we consider, Bayern’s reluctance in handing over opportunities to young, inexperienced players, a move for Callum-Hudson is certainly an unconventional one, especially for a reported fee of £35 million, which would make him the third most expensive arrival in the club’s history.
As for Chelsea, having a buy-back clause in Hudson-Odoi’s contract certainly makes sense for the long-term. But, considering the lucrative nature of the dealing between the two clubs, it would appear rather unnatural for Chelsea to be expecting such clauses being accepted by a club as big as Bayern, who are already trying their best to keep James Rodriguez at the club.
Therefore, the Blues certainly need to make a final decision as to whether or not they are willing to keep Hudson-Odoi at the club rather than throwing buy-back clause in his transfer contract to FC Bayern. It will be interesting to see how this transfer saga takes shape in the coming days.
