Chelsea news: Maurizio Sarri fires warning to Arsenal transfer target
CHELSEA boss Maurizio Sarri has warned Callum Hudson-Odoi he needs to improve if he is to break into the first team.
Posted Thursday, November 29, 2018 by Express.co.uk
The 18-year-old winger impressed in pre-season but has not made the 18-man squad for any of this campaign’s Premier League fixtures.
He has 18 months left on his contract and is attracting plenty of interest at home and abroad.
Hudson-Odoi will be included in the 18-man squad for tomorrow’s Europa League clash against PAOK Salonika but Sarri believes the talented teen has plenty of work to do if he is to make the grade at Chelsea.
"He has to improve,” the Italian tactician said at the pre-match press conference. “He has to improve a lot.
"First of all, the defensive phase. He has to work. He has to improve on the offensive phase – he's very good one against one, but he has to learn to move without the ball.
"He is potentially a very good player, and now he has to study and improve and work. But I think that's really very normal. He's 18, so that's normal.
"I want to find space for him. It's not really very easy because, at the moment, we have 28 players so, for me, it's not easy. Not easy to put him in the starting XI because, maybe, on the bench in the Premier League matches there was Moses or Pedro, so it's difficult not to put that kind of player in the starting XI for Thursday.
"So it's difficult, but I'll try to find a space for him.
Chelsea news: Maurizio Sarri says Callum Hudson-Odoi must improve
Chelsea news: Hudson-Odoi could face PAOK Salonika tomorrow
"He is in the 18 players for the match. I don't know if he will start or not.”
Arsenal have expressed an interest in swooping for Hudson-Odoi but Bayern Munich are leading the race, according to The Sun.
The reigning Bundesliga champions are eager to secure his signature in the January transfer window.
Chelsea news: Arsenal fancy signing Hudson-Odoi
Bayern lost out in the race for Jadon Sancho and are determined not to miss out on another prospect.
Sancho and Reiss Nelson, on loan from Arsenal to Hoffenheim, are loving life in Germany, and Hudson-Odoi is reportedly eager to follow suit.
Barcelona and Juventus are also keeping tabs.
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