Willian reveals Chelsea players are pleading with Callum Hudson-Odoi to ignore Bayern Munich transfer rumours

Chelsea players have pleaded with Callum Hudson-Odoi to stay at the club after the teenager handed in a transfer request.

Hudson-Odoi, 18, has threatened to become the latest young English talent to shun the Premier League elite for game time abroad. He is growing fed up with the minimal first-team minutes at Stamford Bridge and is seeking a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

But, after the winger scored a sensational goal against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup on Sunday, team-mate Willian revealed that Chelsea’s players are trying to convince him to remain at the club.

‘One of the best players in the world’

“We want him to stay,” the Brazilian said. “We don’t want him to leave. He can become one of the best players for Chelsea, one of the best players in the world, in the future. He has to stay.

Read more: Chelsea reaction to Callum Hudson-Odoi shows homegrown talent means more to fans than highly-paid superstars

“The quality he has: he has everything. He’s fast. Of course he can improve, he’s only 18, but he can improve a lot to become one of the best players.

“We want him to stay. He’s a great talent. A great player. We tell him all the time to stay here.”

Hudson-Odoi has featured 11 times for Chelsea this season under new manager Maurizio Sarri, but is yet to start a Premier League game. He has started twice in the FA Cup, twice in the Europa League — where he has twice come on as a substitute — and started in the Community Shield. He has come on three times in the league.

Bayern Munich could come back in summer

Bayern Munich are willing to pay around £35million for the forward, who won the World Cup with England’s Under 17s in 2017, and pay wages of £85,000 per week, although reports in Germany on Monday suggested they may wait until the summer now, with Chelsea adamant they do not want to sell one of the most highly-rated teenage players on the planet.

Chelsea are willing to offer Hudson-Odoi a new contract and match the salary offered by Bayern Munich but the player believes he will play more first-team football if he switches to the Bundesliga.

Defender Antonio Rudiger said: “What I can say is clear: Chelsea have to make him stay. It will be a pity if this young talent leaves us. He decides his future but Chelsea need to give him a new contract.”