Bayern Munich have abandoned their pursuit of Callum Hudson-Odoi despite the fact the Chelsea teenager faces six months out injured, claims the London Evening Standard.
Hudson-Odoi underwent surgery for an Achilles tendon injury in midweek after sustaining the problem during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Burnley on Monday.
The 18-year-old will only have 12 months left to run on his current Chelsea deal at the end of the season and will not renew with the club unless there are assurances of regular playing time.
Bayern failed with numerous bids for Hudson-Odoi in January after earmarking the England international as a long-term replacement for veteran pair Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
The Bundesliga giants were even prepared to make the teenager one of the most expensive players in the club’s history but Chelsea turned down all offers.
Hudson-Odoi is in no rush to sign a new Chelsea deal following his serious foot injury and has been boosted by news Bayern are still keen on his signature.
This summer represents the final opportunity for Chelsea to command a reasonable fee for Hudson-Odoi if he again refuses to sign a new deal.
Hudson-Odoi is hopeful of making a full recovery within six months, which means he could still return to first-team action before the end of the year.
His absence for the remainder of the season is a huge blow for Chelsea’s attempts of winning the Europa League.
Hudson-Odoi is among the top-10 WhoScored rated players in the competition this season (7.60) having played a direct hand in six goals in nine appearances.
Furthermore, of players to have made at least five appearances in the Europa League this season, only Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard (9.3) averages more dribbles per 90 than Hudson-Odoi (6.5).
The problem with this type of injury is not the surgery and recovery time. It's that achilles injuries lead to more leg injuries as players return when they don't have their old proprioception ( a sense of movement and body perception). Thus a series of cascading injuries is common.