Manchester United are ready to rival Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the pursuit of Callum Hudson-Odoi, it has been claimed.
Callum-Hudson Odoi has been a subject of major transfer speculation in the last few months, and according to the Mail(via Manchester Evening News), Manchester United are the latest club to be linked with a move for the Chelsea winger.
Callum-Hudson Odoi: An interesting option for Manchester United
Manchester United’s shortcoming in the attacking department this season has been well documented. Although the Red Devils have enjoyed a rich vein of form under Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer, a host of their star players, including Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata have underperformed.
As a result, the team has often appeared overreliant on the services of young Marcus Rashford, thus accentuating the need of a new attacker next season. Hudson-Odoi, in that regard, is an interesting choice, should Manchester United fail to land Borussia Dortmund superstar Jadon Sancho in the summer which looks like the likely outcome.
Much like Sancho, Hudson-Odoi is a dynamic winger, whose explosive pace makes him a definite threat on the counter. He is also an excellent dribbler and has a box of trickery up his sleeves, that often comes in handy with resolute drilled defences lining up in front of teams like Chelsea and United.
However, what makes Hudson-Odoi a class apart from players of his age are his physical attributes as the 18-year-old can hold onto the ball really well, even in tight spaces. And his ability to outmuscle defenders and hold the ball not only allows the fullbacks to make overlapping runs but also his fellow attackers to make themselves a passing option.
This could go hand in hand with the attacking brand of football Manchester United have implemented under the reign of Solskjaer this season and offer an exciting quality option at a time when the Old Trafford outfit are looking to re-establish themselves as title contenders.
That being said, one could argue that Hudson-Odoi tender’s age could make it difficult for him to cope with Manchester United’s soaring expectations. But, it’s a risk the Red Devils should take, given the sheer potential the player has shown in the youth divisions and also on his English senior debut.
On the flip side, however, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea will be willing to sell one of their most gifted footballers to their Premier League rivals, especially with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund already making a strong case for signing the youngster in the summer.
This is certainly a transfer which raises more than enough doubt as to the prospects of its completion, but Hudson-Odoi has already shown that it will be a folly on Chelsea’s part if they somehow fail to hold onto their prized asset.