The arrival of Havertz would have a huge positive impact on Chelsea, but could also bring one career to an unlikely end.
After a yearlong transfer ban and some big-money sales, Chelsea have given manager Frank Lampard a massive war chest for transfers this summer.
The Blues have already signed Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and if reports are to be believed, Kai Havertz is on the way as well. But his signature could mean bad news for one Chelsea player in particular: Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The 19-year-old has had an eventful start to life at Stamford Bridge, having been the subject of a massive bid from Bayern Munich, before signing a lucrative new contract with Chelsea.
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His career looked to be on the rise before his horrific injury last season, which kept him out for about six months. For a teenager, any sort of long-term injury can really stunt their development.
This season, he has not really lived up to the billing at Chelsea, which has led to decreased playtime. It also didn’t help that he got injured again around February, then suffered from COVID-19, before injuring his ankle right before the restart.
He has been unlucky this season, and that misfortune doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.
Why Hudson-Odoi has played so little for Chelsea this season
For a man who was on the brink of cementing his place as a key first-team player before his injury last season, making just seven starts in the league is not good enough.
Of course, he was injured for 13 of those 36 games, but starting seven out of the remaining 23 is still not something Hudson-Odoi will be happy about, nor should he be.
However, you can’t say his lack of minutes hasn’t been deserved this year, as he has not taken advantage of his opportunities. Too many times, he has been sloppy, careless, and has not worked hard enough.
This can’t stand in Lampard’s Chelsea, for which work-rate is of paramount importance. It is one of the reasons Willian has occupied the right flank all season, and it’s also why Christian Pulisic is getting more and more playtime.
Even when he came on against Manchester United on Sunday, Hudson-Odoi looked bright going forward, but he didn’t show the intensity required in the press, and of course the one time he did track back, he stupidly brought down Anthony Martial for a clear penalty.
He had some promising moments, though, driving at the United defence and almost scoring after bamboozling Nemanja Matic inside the box. But raw talent isn’t enough, and Lampard knows it.
Pulisic was in a similar predicament to Hudson-Odoi before the restart, but he decided to put in the work, hitting the gym and working double sessions with Chelsea’s fitness coaches.
Now, Pulisic is fitter, stronger, faster, and sharper, while the young Englishman is not quite there yet. If he wants to play more, he needs to work harder. Lampard has always said that’s the case, and it will be for as long as he is the manager.
What the arrival of Havertz would change
The German sensation from Bayer Leverkusen has already made his favored position clear: he loves to play as an attacking No. 8, on the inside-right channel, similar to the position Ross Barkley plays at times.
But his season at Leverkusen paints a different story altogether. Havertz has featured many times as a No. 10, as a right-winger, and even as a false nine, but never as a No. 8.
This is because Leverkusen play with two industrious, defensive-minded central midfielders, in order to free up their plethora of options up front.
For a player to say that his best position is one where he never plays, but one which Lampard uses extensively at Chelsea, while thriving in at least three other positions should be a huge warning sign to the rest of the Premier League.
His versatility is unreal, and that would be a huge bonus for the Blues, especially with the injury problems they have had this season. Havertz would not be the only versatile Chelsea attacker, though.
Ziyech can play on the right-wing, as a No. 10, and even as an attacking No. 8, while Werner can play striker, winger, and potentially No. 10 as well. Beyond that, Pulisic is mainly a winger, but his skillset could be used in midfield as well.
The problem with Hudson-Odoi is that he really only offers one thing: flair. Sure he is fast, but Pulisic and Werner are faster, and sure he is an adequate passer, but Ziyech and Havertz blow him out of the water in that regard.
When it comes down to it Hudson-Odoi possesses the ability to beat players, and he has that unknown factor that can destabilize teams. But his end product has always been lacking, as has his decision making.
At a club like Chelsea, who already has so much attacking talent, he may be considered a gamble not worth taking. The fact is if he can’t beat an aging Willian for a place in the starting lineup, how can he beat Willian (if he stays), Werner, Ziyech, and Havertz?
Right now, Hudson-Odoi is the first winger off the bench. With Werner, Ziyech, possibly Willian, and even Mason Mount ahead of him in the pecking order next season, he’d be limited to cameo appearances in the league and cup matches.
Now if you factor in Havertz, a potential future Ballon d’Or winner, who can also play out wide? It just seems like one player too many in that position.
What’s next for Hudson-Odoi?
He could choose to stay and fight for his place at Chelsea, but he doesn’t seem to share the same undying love for the badge many of the other youngsters do.
Tammy Abraham was sent out on loan after loan before finally landing in the first team, and taking his opportunities at the age of 22. Mount went to Vitesse Arnhem, a place the club sends its unwanted “loan army” to, but fought his way into the team eventually.
Fikayo Tomori went on three separate loans to lower-league teams in England, before convincing Lampard that he was worthy of playing for Chelsea.
In contrast, Hudson-Odoi never went out on loan. He was immediately touted for a place in the senior team, and by the time he was 17 he was already playing in the Premier League, before officially joining the first team at 18.
But upon receiving a little less playing time than he wanted, what did he do? He handed in a transfer request and threatened to move to Bayern. Abraham or Mount would never treat their dream club, especially not their fans, like that.
One of the most interesting parts of watching games with no fans is that you can actually hear the manager talking to his players. During the game against United, Lampard kept shouting instructions at Hudson-Odoi, most notably to press more, but he didn’t.
He clearly likes him a lot and respects his game, but if Lampard has to choose between a homegrown player who doesn’t do what is required and a foreign gem who fulfills all expectations, Hudson-Odoi won’t get too many “academy points”.
While Havertz’s arrival is likely, it is not set in stone, so there could be no reason for any of this talk, but the overwhelming odds are that Chelsea do bring in an attacking midfielder/winger this summer, even if it’s not him.
Unless Hudson-Odoi has a Pulisic-like transformation, which will only happen if he puts in the work, Havertz in a Chelsea jersey will probably signal the end of Hudson-Odoi in a Chelsea jersey.
All this, of course, is just speculation, and what is guaranteed is that Hudson-Odoi will get a clean slate next season. Having not been able to have a proper preseason last year, this time around he will get that chance to impress his manager and fans.
If he takes advantage of it, he could very well go back to the man who was thought to be a future Chelsea legend, but he has to show improvement in his game, mentality, and work-rate. If not, Havertz in probably means Hudson-Odoi out.