EPL: Chelsea rejects opening bid for Callum Hudson-Odoi from Fulham

An offer for Callum Hudson-Odoi from London-rival Fulham has been rejected by Chelsea.

The 22-year-old has returned to West London after enduring a difficult time on loan at German outfit Bayer Leverkusen. Hudson-Odoi had to settle for just 14 Bundesliga appearances after failing to nail down a place in the Leverkusen starting lineup.

With 12 months remaining on his Chelsea deal, there is an expectation that he will leave the club during the current transfer window.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino cannot guarantee Hudson-Odoi a regular starting place with the likes of Noni Madueke, Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk above him in the pecking order.

It is important to mention that Chelsea, who have already sold several key players, are actively seeking to offload Callum Hudson-Odoi. Notable players already sold by Chelsea include Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Eduardo Mendy, and others.

The Athletic reported that Fulham have identified Callum Hudson-Odoi as a transfer target, and they have formalised their interest by tabling a bid to Chelsea.

Their initial proposal was turned down by the Blues, but the report suggests that it is likely the Cottagers could return with a second offer.

So far, Fulham are the first club to make a move for the 22-year-old, who had previous interest from European giants Bayern Munich when he broke through at Chelsea.

Following the departure of Manor Solomon and Neeskens Kebano depart this summer, Fulham are looking towards bolstering their wide options.

Nottingham Forest have also been mooted as a potential destination for Hudson-Odoi, while AC Milan are another club that are believed to be interested in the Chelsea man.

After rising through the youth ranks at Chelsea, Hudson-Odoi has gone on to make 126 appearances for the senior side, registering 16 goals and 22 assists.