Midfielder Cesc Fabregas and forward Callum Hudson-Odoi are two Chelsea fringe players who want out of Stamford Bridge, and each have a team that’s more than ready, willing and able to take him in. The problem with both situations is that Chelsea is not yet ready to part ways with them.
Of course, it’s only January 9, and we still have 22 days left in the winter transfer window to get it all figured out. We’ll start with Fabregas, who has already said his official goodbyes to the team and the fans. It was a beautiful and emotional farewell, but it’s going to look a bit awkward now as Stamford Bridge aren’t willing to let him go until they first find a suitable replacement.
Fabregas has agreed in principle to move to the principality of Monaco, where he’ll be managed by his former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry.
According to L’Equipe, Fabregas had a medical scheduled for Monday and his photo shoot for the official unveiling is already done. The Daily Mail reports that Chelsea are looking to close “a deal for either Cagliari’s Nicolo Barella or Leandro Paredes of Zenit Saint Petersburg before the end of the week and will not let Fabregas go before then.”
Watch this space.
Moving on to Hudson-Odoi, Bayern Munich has now made a fourth bid, says the Guardian. Now the proposed transfer fee amount is up to £35.8 million, and the Bavarian giants believe that this time they have met the west London side’s valuation.
The 18-year-old winger has only featured once in the Premier League this season and with Christian Pulisic on the way this summer, it will likely only become more challenging to get opportunities within the first team.
Still, manager Maurizio Sarri wants CHO to snub the Bundesliga superpower and stay put.
The Guardian reports that Hudson-Odoi: “has refused to discuss a new contract with Chelsea, having been offered a five-year deal last summer. It is understood he is keen to establish himself as a first-team player at a time when his former England Under-17 teammates Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson have benefited from moves to Germany.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.