Why Aston Villa must beat West Brom to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi

In a summer where pre-season preparations at Stamford Bridge were affected by the World Cup and a managerial change, Callum Hudson-Odoi announced himself to the world of football.

With many of Chelsea’s first-team players reporting late due to vacations after the 2018 World Cup, Hudson-Odoi grabbed his chance to impress. Maurizio Sarri and his possession-based tactics, commonly known as ‘Sarriball’, had arrived in town.

Drafted in from the academy to fill in the numbers, the youngster put together a series of impressive performances.  When he didn’t join the plethora of players going out on loan, many assumed that he had done enough to force himself into manager’s plans.

Fast forward to now, however, and the teenager is struggling for minutes. The 18-year-old has only played 35 minutes of football since the season got underway and hence, a January loan move away to get vital minutes could be on the cards.

According to Birmingham Mail, Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa are among the clubs interested in the teenager’s services. The Midlands rivals will be hoping to strengthen their respective sides to boost their promotion chances.

Villa are already playing catch up in the Championship. A slow start and a mid-season managerial change have seen them struggling for consistency. As a result, Dean Smith’s side will need to put together some strong displays over the second half of the campaign to close in on the top six.

Callum Hudson-Odoi’s arrival would certainly help Villa in the attack. The teenager is one of the brightest prospects in English football at the moment. With Villa’s wingers struggling, the Chelsea academy graduate could turn provider to another familiar player, Tammy Abraham. Abraham, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, is Villa’s top scorer, having netted five goals.

With his pace and trickery, Hudson-Odoi has the potential to light up Villa Park. The 18-year-old, who features as a left-winger, can also play as an attacking midfielder or a right-winger. Given Chelsea’s more experienced options in these positions, it is understandable as to why the England U19 international is struggling for minutes at Stamford  Bridge.

West Brom already have one of the most dangerous attacks in the Championship. The Baggies are the division’s highest scoring side, having scored 39 league goals in 18 games. On the flipside, Villa greatly needs Hudson-Odoi’s creativity in the middle of the park.

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Hence, Dean Smith must beat the Baggies and swoop in on the youngster. In fact, he could utilize his assistant manager and Chelsea legend John Terry to wrap up the deal. But one thing is clear, Aston Villa need Callum Hudson-Odoi more than West Brom at the moment.