Pat Nevin believes that the performance of Callum Hudson-Odoi might be the X-factor Chelsea were lacking and stop them from considering alternative options.
Callum Hudson Odoi file image. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Chelsea, who have had a roller-coaster season so far, witnessed one of their most promising young talents Callum Hudson-Odoi getting back to goal in the last match and producing his best performance of the season so far. And according to Pat Nevin, his performance might stop Chelsea from buying Wilfried Zaha.
After making his return from injury, the 19-year-old took the hard way around to get back to the form as he was seen gradually improving with every passing matchday. Though yet to get back to his best, Hudson-Odoi was a lively presence in the third-round FA Cup match against Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea were linked heavily with a winter move for Crystal Palace forward Zaha, but former midfielder Nevil believes that Hudson-Odoi’s performance might be the X-factor Chelsea were lacking and it will restrict them from considering alternative options.
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“Maybe in Callum we already have this player at the club, even if the likes of Wilfried Zaha have been mentioned in dispatches,” the ex-Blues player wrote on the official website of Chelsea.
Nevin also reflected the hardship that the teenager had to go through after suffering the injury last season. “The other thing of course was that while he was recuperating, other youngsters were stepping into his shoes, actually that should be ‘boots’ obviously. They were his mates of course but from being the golden boy along with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, suddenly Tammy, Mason, Reece and Fikayo were getting all the plaudits once reserved for him,” he said.
“He wouldn’t have been jealous as such, but again somewhere deep down there must have been real pain that he was missing out while everyone else was having a ball, all because of a moment’s bad luck with that bizarre injury,” Nevin added.
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