Why Chelsea have struck gold with a new contract for Callum Hudson-Odoi

According to The Guardian, Chelsea have secured the future of Callum Hudson-Odoi with a bumper new five-year deal, with the youngster committing his future at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2024.

The new five-year deal means that the 18-year-old is going to get a significant pay rise at his boyhood club, with The Guardian claiming that the teenager is now set to earn £120,000-a-week, a staggering amount for a player of his age.

Hudson-Odoi’s new deal is a part of Chelsea’s drive to secure the futures of some of their most talented academy youngsters.

The highly-rated winger follows like footsteps of Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in putting pen to paper on improved terms at Stamford Bridge and the Blues have already begun talks with Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori over new contracts. (h/t Guardian)

The 18-year-old, who made his senior debut for the Blues under the reign of Antonio Conte back in the 2017-18 campaign, looked set for an exit earlier in the year in January.

The winger even handed in a transfer request to force through a move from West London, amidst interest from Bayern Munich, after growing increasingly frustrated with his lack of regular minutes. (h/t Guardian)

However, he ultimately stayed put after being offered assurances over a more substantial role in the first-team by former manager Maurizio Sarri and finished the 2018-19 campaign with 5 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions, although a large chunk of those appearances came as cameos off the bench.

Presumably, the appointment of Frank Lampard as the new manager earlier in the summer and the subsequent rise of some of the academy starlets to the mainstays of the first-team in the Premier League have prompted Callum Hudson-Odoi to commit his future to his boyhood club.

Had it not been for his Achilles injury, the 18-year-old would probably have been one of the first names on Lampard’s teamsheet this term. Nonetheless, he is in the final stages of his recovery and the fans are likely to get a chance to see him in action in the coming weeks.

To put things into perspective, it doesn’t require a professional analyst to figure out as to why Chelsea have struck gold with a new deal for Hudson-Odoi.

The 18-year-old is amongst the most sought-after young talents in Europe at the moment and the Blues just can’t afford to let him slip out of their hands, especially, now that the fountain of youth has finally begun to flow at Stamford Bridge under the stewardship of Lampard.

Not only is the new deal yet another indication of the club’s renewed faith in their academy starlets but it also puts the Blues in a strong negotiating position should any potential suitor come knocking on the door for the teenager’s services.

Chelsea desperately needed to avoid another bidding war for the 18-year-old’s services, having somehow managed to hold on to him back in January, and the new deal is going to ensure that Callum Hudson-Odoi takes strides towards evolving into a world-class asset in the years to come.

All in all, Chelsea’s decision to tie the youngster down to fresh and improved terms makes perfect sense for a number of reasons.