According to Thomas Tuchel, there is no way he could have allowed Hudson-Odoi to join Dortmund on loan.
Ever since Tuchel took over as coach in January, the 20-year-old has had trouble getting a consistent role at the club and has been willing to leave Stamford Bridge.
This is what Tuchel said when he was asked about possibly delaying Hudson-move Odoi’s to Dortmund:
We have spoken. It was a very easy decision for me to make on the last day of the transfer period. We cannot let a player who is in the 18, 19 man squad leave.
‘He is able to play as a right wing-back, a left wing-back in the two No.10 positions. He knows the group, we know him very well. There was no chance to say yes on the last day.
‘For him personally, it may have been a good opportunity but for us and our targets that we want to achieve, it was simply impossible. It was an easy one for me actually.
‘Callum has to overcome the gap between training and games. I see a stronger Callum every day in training and he needs to overcome this gap and show this kind of determination that he shows in training.
‘If he gets minutes, it’s never a gift. Nobody gets gifts because we take maybe hard decisions like for Callum not to let him go [on loan].
‘He needs to deserve it. I know it’s [right wing-back] not his favourite position but I think he can play this position and serve the team when it’s necessary.
‘Today it was necessary and still he can do better, still he can be more aggressive, still he needs to push himself absolutely to the limits.
‘This is what he does in training and, as I said, he needs to overcome this gap to fight for his place in the squad. This is life at Chelsea.’
