Hudson-Odoi must be prepared to deal with the ramifications of his choice to abandon his call to England’s Under-21 squad, Tuchel says, with the Chelsea manager adding that he does not want to see the player on loan.
What did Tuchel say?
The winger, a full-fledged England international since 2019, turned down a spot on Lee Carsley’s youth squad after being surrendered by Southgate for the September 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Thomas Tuchel says the 20-year-old must make the decision, but admitted that minutes with young lions would likely help him as he continues to fight for his spot at Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of his side in the Premier League with Liverpool this weekend, the German said it was his decision and had nothing to do with either his opinion or the club’s opinion. Tuchel assumes and thinks that it is about disappointment that he was not nominated for the first team, but at the same time, maybe he did not have enough minutes to be nominated for the first team. According to Thomas, he could see the upgrade take a few minutes and take the lead in the Under-21s, but he decided differently to deal with the aftermath.
There is always room for improvement
After signing a five-year deal in September 2019, Callum Hudson-Odoi has since struggled to share with the Blues first team and found himself looking further beyond this summer. Thomas Tuchel says no move has materialized so far, however, admitting that there may still be time before the transfer window closes – but also challenge the young man to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel added that there is always room for improvement in learning here. It’s hard to argue that he needs regular playing time to improve his level. It’s not just a matter of letting go of the players. If they want to compete in all competitions, that’s also about numbers. Tuchel has a feeling that Callum Hudson-Odoi has decided to fight for his place here. Callum had a very good preseason. The door is always open to get through. There is no loan at the moment.