Those closely connected to Chelsea have apparently been impressed by Callum Hudson-Odoi’s recent transformation.
This is coming from The Athletic sources, who say that Hudson-Odoi is in the ‘best physical shape’ since he broke into the senior squad three years ago.
They also suggest the 20-year-old is ‘looking very sharp and showing explosive speed to take on opposing defenders.’
Chelsea fans should be very encouraged by this news coming out of the camp.
Callum so close but so far
Hudson-Odoi has been on the fringes of first-team action for some time.
An Achilles tendon tear in 2019 trod all over the England international’s early development
Niggling injuries have repeatedly cropped up over time, meaning he has never truly held down a regular spot with the Blues.
But this year could be a turning point for the Chelsea academy product.
He was one of the first to turn up for pre-season training, along with Tammy Abraham and Tino Anjorin, two others aiming to impress Thomas Tuchel.
The Athletic say Hudson-Odoi stepped up his workout schedule during the summer so he’d be prepared for whatever Tuchel throws at him.
Of course, his position is one of the most heavily contested at Chelsea.
Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz, and potentially Timo Werner will be competing for the two no.10 roles behind the main striker.
Unless Tuchel views Hudson-Odoi as a long-term wing-back solution, the role he played during the German’s first two Premier League games in charge.
Whichever way he is going to be used, the exciting attacker has a lot to prove in quite a short space of time.