Bayern
Munich have stepped up their interest in Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi, and
German football journalist Raphael Honigstein says the youngster has a 'cult
following' in the Bundesliga.
Sky Sports News understands Bayern have made the England U19 international
their top target in what could become one of the biggest deals of the
January transfer window.
Borussia Dortmund are also interested in the winger, whose Chelsea contract
expires in the summer of 2020. ESPN and Der Spiegel journalist Honigstein
provided his insight regarding the situation on the Sunday Supplement...
"It's not a sudden interest," said Honigstein. "He's had a cult following
among Bundesliga supremos for quite a while. There's been a lot of clubs
interested in him, and he's made so much progress.
"His stock has risen to the point where he's gone from Borussia
Monchengladbach to Dortmund, to right at the top now where Bayern are
interested in him.
"It's the [Jadon] Sancho effect - everyone thinks they can get the next
Sancho, and I also think from his point of view, he thinks he can be the
next Sancho, doing what Sancho's done going to the Bundesliga.
"What I think was only a theoretical possibility six months ago has become
very realistic and very doable because both sides now see the benefit when
it wasn't as clear before.
"Bayern were interested in buying Sancho but he chose Dortmund, thinking it
might be a better career move for him because he was guaranteed game time.
At Bayern, he still had [Franck] Ribery and [Arjen] Robben in front of him.
"Things have changed now and speaking to one or two scouts, many people
think he's going to light up European football.
"It reflects a little bit worryingly for [Maurizio] Sarri and for Chelsea
that they don't rate him as highly as some of the other clubs showing
interest do, but he is seen as a really hot commodity.
"German clubs see the 17 to 19-year-olds who cannot get into the first team
at big clubs in England, and they feel these are guys who are ready to play
in any team anywhere.
"How the Premier League works - the reluctance of many managers to play
these youngsters and the reluctance of clubs to give one of their rivals one
of these players - has led to a growth in Bundesliga interest.
"It's very difficult for players to pass through the bottle-neck, so what
Sancho has shown is the only effective way of doing things - either going on
loan or actually take the plunge.
"Game time is ultimately more important, especially in those crucial years
of 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21. English culture talks of a 'Bermuda Triangle'
where a lot of these youngsters just get lost. It's one of the down sides to
the English system that there are no second teams.
"I understand why, but for these guys it's a real down side as they've got
nowhere to go. The Bundesliga offers a way out for them."
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