Callum Hudson-Odoi finally has his move to Germany. The 21-year-old has completed a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan, though Chelsea have the option to recall the winger in January should they wish to.
The move comes as Thomas Tuchel looks to bolster his frontline with new signings this summer as the pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Anthony Gordon and Wilfried Zaha goes on late in the window. Hudson-Odoi's departure could open up room for those deals to accelerate.
The talented forward has been at Chelsea since the age of eight, breaking into the first team under Maurizio Sarri after making his debut under Antonio Conte in 2018. He did become an early part of Tuchel's own Chelsea set-up but has struggled for first team minutes since falling out of favour in 2021, playing less than 1,000 minutes in the league last season.
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He hadn't appeared in any of the squads so far this season even with five substitutes allowed, and will now have the chance to make his mark in Germany, four years after Chelsea rejected a massive £70million bid from Bayern Munich for his services.
Upon his arrival, Hudson-Odoi said: "The move to Germany is really exciting for me and I can play in the Champions League with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. That combination is really attractive and I'm keen to get to know the club, the fans and the Bundesliga."
Hudson-Odoi also revealed the role Kai Havertz played in the deal. The Germany international left Leverkusen in 2020 to join Chelsea, Hudson-Odoi has now gone the other way and has been awarded the No.17 shirt for his time there.
"Kai Havertz only had good things to say about it to me in the Chelsea dressing room," Hudson-Odoi added.
"We have signed a fast and penetrative winger in Callum Hudson-Odoi," said sporting managing director Simon Rolfes. "He has everything to be able to help us immediately. Callum has played over 100 games for Chelsea and proven himself in the Premier League as well as in the Champions League. This will give our attacking game another special component. We’re very happy this transfer has gone through."
Hudson-Odoi will be tested in Europe with group stage matches against Atletico Madrid, Brugge and Porto.
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