Callum Hudson-Odoi could move for just £4m – after Chelsea once rejected £70m offer

Callum Hudson-Odoi could be set to leave Chelsea for a small fee this summer (Image: Getty Images)

Chelsea could be left kicking themselves over not selling Callum Hudson-Odoi sooner following reports the England winger is set to join Premier League rivals Fulham for a pittance.

Chelsea may be forced to take a bath on Callum Hudson-Odoi as the forward appears to be nearing the end of his 16-year stay at Stamford Bridge.

The academy graduate looks poised to leave the club before the end of this summer's transfer window, with the Blues eager to earn a fee for his services. Hudson-Odoi, 22, now has less than one year remaining on his contract and is at risk of leaving for free if the club don't cash in soon.

But the £4million fee Chelsea are currently negotiating around is a little more than 5% of what they stood to make off his signature only a few years ago. Hudson-Odoi was still only 19 when Bayern Munich were linked to loaning the player with a £70m option to buy.

Fast-forward to today, and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has reported Fulham are closing in on a deal for a fraction of that sum - though Mauricio Pochettino's side are still playing hard-ball.

Romano wrote 'negotiations are advanced' between the two west London rivals, suggesting the Blues will indeed move on from their once-treasured academy product. Hudson-Odoi spent last season on loan with Bayer Leverkusen, scoring just one goal and recording one assist in 21 outings for the Bundesliga outfit.

It's a sharp fall from grace for a player once hailed as a key fixture in England's future, earning his senior debut at the age of 18. Hudson-Odoi followed Wayne Rooney as the second-youngest player to start for the Three Lions, but Chelsea now appear keen to clear his £120,000-a-week wages off their bill.

Hudson-Odoi struggled to impress on loan at Bayer Leverkusen last season (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The Blues have pulled off a considerable clear-out this summer, with major names like Kai Havertz, N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta and Mateo Kovacic each being moved on.

Hudson-Odoi hasn't played for the club since featuring against Luton Town in an FA Cup fifth-round clash back in March 2022. Having once been billed as a shining example of Chelsea's stellar youth production line, it seems almost inevitable he'll now depart with many wondering what might have been.

Understand Fulham have made verbal proposal for Callum Hudson-Odoi — it’s around £4m fee 🚨⚪️⚫️ #FulhamFC

Chelsea want £8m fee, negotiations are advanced — Fulham, confident to get the deal done in the next days. pic.twitter.com/7UtduZp8qI

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 27, 2023

The move could prove hugely valuable for Fulham in time, however, is the speedster manages to regain his former trajectory at Craven Cottage. It wasn't that long ago Chelsea's Young Player of the Year for 2018/19 was among England's most sought-after stars, and he's still only in the early phases of his career.

It also may not be a downgrade for the player considering Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League last term, two places behind the Cottagers. And Marco Silva may be just the man to restore Hudson-Odoi to his former glories.