Chelsea transfer mistake highlighted in Deadline Day deal

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino looks dejected during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff Arena on May 08, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Chelsea have spent around a billion pounds in the last three transfer windows. They can hardly quibble about losing a quid or two, here or there.

But while the Blues have had a quiet Deadline Day in terms of incomings, there have been a few outgoings from Stamford Bridge. Romelu Lukaku has gone to Roma, Mason Burstow to Sunderland and Conor Gallagher has been the subject of interest.

But it's Callum Hudson-Odoi's move that might present the biggest "what if" for Chelsea of recent times. 

Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on August 11, 2022 in Cobham, England.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has left Chelsea (Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

The Evening Standard has confirmed that the Cobham academy graduate has gone to Nottingham Forest for just £5 million. Oh, how times change.

The Blues infamously rejected huge bids from Bayern Munich for the star. A £40m move was touted before he'd even played a senior fixture for the club – later, a loan was proposed with a £70m buy option.

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Instead, the west Londoners resisted. They rewarded Hudson-Odoi with a bumper new contract, as Gareth Southgate handed him an international debut. He became the second youngest-ever player to start a competitive match for England.

Chelsea weren't used to handing such big opportunities to young players from their academy. They bucked the trend for a special youngster – and he hasn't quite lived up to the hype, moving to Bayer Leverkusen last season but failing to take the Bundesliga by storm.

Leverkusen's English forward Callum Hudson-Odoi (L) and Club Brugge's Canadian forward Tajon Buchanan vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group B football match Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Club Brugge in Leverkusen, western Germany, on November 1, 2022.

Callum Hudson-Odoi didn't live up to the hype at Leverkusen (Image credit: SASCHA SCHUERMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

It's a big shame for Hudson-Odoi who hasn't had regular game-time to develop – and a shame for Chelsea, who put their faith in a player worth trusting, only for it to not quite work out.

But Chelsea fans can't help but wonder what may have been. They could have sold CHO for £40m: he could have become a starter for Bayern.

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Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.