According to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian, Nottingham Forest are among the clubs interested in a deal to sign Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, with Fulham and AC Milan also reportedly interested.
Nottingham Forest transfer news – will they sign Callum Hudson-Odoi?
As per Steinberg, Forest are in the race to sign Hudson-Odoi, who is likely to leave Chelsea this summer after failing to hit the heights on loan at Bayer Leverkusen last season.
The Blues have reportedly set a price tag of just £15m for the academy graduate, who is out of contract next summer.
Hudson-Odoi has reportedly received offers from Saudi Arabia – like many others – but has prioritised staying in Europe and getting his career back on track.
We saw last season that Forest are not afraid to splash the cash, spending €195.25m (£168.61m) on a number of arrivals.
Among those was Jesse Lingard on a free deal, proving that they are capable of attracting players from big clubs, which could be a factor for any potential Hudson-Odoi move.
Would Callum Hudson-Odoi perform at Nottingham Forest?
There are not many players around that need a move to get their careers back on track more than Hudson-Odoi. The loan move to Leverkusen was meant to do exactly that, but one goal and one assist in 21 appearances tell you all you need to know about how that spell went.
Back in the familiar territory of the Premier League, however, the 22-year-old could finally get back to his best – a version that was once linked with a sensational move to Bayern Munich.
If the Chelsea man does decide to make the move to Forest, it would be incredibly similar to Lingard's move last summer, given that he'd be moving from a top club on potentially huge wages.
Like the former Manchester United midfielder, Hudson-Odoi would be under a lot of pressure if he made the move. The hope will be that he can handle the pressure better than Lingard did after the England international recorded zero goals and assists in the Premier League last season.
Hudson-Odoi could even play the role of wingback if he made the Forest move, given Steve Cooper's tendency to occasionally play with a back five. This is a role that he has played before, of course, under Thomas Tuchel, making him a versatile option for many clubs.
Speaking on the academy graduate back in 2020, Chelsea teammate Mason Mount told the club website: "We all know what Callum can do and he came on and brought that spark.
"He’s very good one on one and we just have to get him the ball going one on one and try to create chances. He did very well when he came on and that is something he can take away from the game."
Also praising the winger, scout Jacek Kulig said back in 2020: "Three years ago I gave Hudson-Odoi 10/10 potential and I stand by my opinion. Callum still has crazy potential."
It's clear that Forest have the ability to attract names from the Premier League's big six, but they will hope that the similarities between Lingard and a potential move for Hudson-Odoi this summer end there. Indeed, should the wide man live up to that famed potential, Forest would have an almighty player on their hands.
