Stamford Bridge has undergone much change; Chelsea are systematically restructuring the first-team squad and have spent more than £550m on new arrivals since Todd Boehly assumed ownership of the club last year.
On the flanks, the likes of Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke have all been signed under the new ownership; and despite performances on the pitch failing to match the affluence on the transfer front thus far, the Blues now boast a wealth of offensive talent.
Graham Potter will continue to tinker away and hope that cohesion arrives sooner rather than later; with the abundance of quality at his disposal, there is now no excuse for a continuation of the dreadful form which has seen Chelsea win just three of their last 15 matches across all competitions.
With such bustling freshness across every part of the squad, there were always going to be outgoings in west London, with Christian Pulisic – who is currently out injured – reportedly considered expendable.
Instead of scouring the market once again for a replacement, though, Potter must check the club’s books and recognise that he has a homegrown talent in Callum Hudson-Odoi already at his disposal and ready to take the American’s position in the team.
Could Hudson-Odoi really replace Pulisic?
When Hudson-Odoi first burst into prominence at Chelsea, having risen through the Cobham academy ranks, there was a weight of expectation at his feet – so much so that German giants Bayern Munich fiercely pursued a move, offering a loan with an incredible £70m purchase option in 2020.
The Blues rejected those advances, unwilling to part with a player who was expected to nurture his ability and become one of England’s most formidable forwards.
More than two years later, the 22-year-old has been pushed out on loan to another Bundesliga outfit in Bayer Leverkusen, where he has managed just one goal and one assist across 18 appearances for Die Werkself.
Despite this rather meagre output, the £71k-per-week dynamo has maintained a level of overall performance which will please Potter, who will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on the loanee.
As per Sofascore, the three-cap England international boasts an 88% pass success rate for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, also making 1.1 key passes per match despite starting just six times.
Hailed as “special” by Liam Canning in the past, it is easy to forget that Hudson-Odoi is still only 22; and should he be handed another opportunity at Stamford Bridge, he could prove to be the perfect utility option to bolster the team’s offensive efforts, having scored 16 goals and supplied 22 assists for Chelsea already.
Pulisic is now 24 and often classified as his nation’s star player, and after starting in just eight of his 21 appearances for the Blues this season, he might indeed be searching for an exit from SW6.
Ostensibly, Chelsea are going to click together in short time, given the copious talent at Stamford Bridge. While Hudson-Odoi could not expect a instant starting berth under the new project at his parent club, he could prove to be the perfect understudy to the established wide attacking options, duly saving Boehly millions on finding a replacement for Pulisic.