Callum Hudson-Odoi has reportedly pledged his future to Chelsea, a decision which comes with pros and cons for the Blues.
The decision takes effectively backs them into a corner when it comes to their summer transfer dealings.
The winger had supposedly been considered for a number of swap deals involving key transfer targets in the Bundesliga.
It seemed as though Hudson-Odoi may have been a useful bargaining chip in Chelsea’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
BVB are set to lose Jadon Sancho to Manchester United in a £72.6million deal, leaving a vacancy on the wing for a youngster of Hudson-Odoi’s calibre.
Chelsea were already dealt one major blow in their well-publicised pursuit of the Norwegian, when Dortmund rejected their initial player-plus-cash offer including Tammy Abraham.
Their next move could well have been to put Hudson-Odoi’s services on the table, given that they are well-aware of his talents in the Bundesliga.
German giants Bayern Munich were serious about signing him back in 2019, only for Chelsea to hand him a lucrative new contract.
Two years on and not much further on his mission of establishing himself as a crucial part of the Blues’ attacking line, Hudson-Odoi was rumoured to be under consideration for swap deals involving Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman.
However, a report from The Sun indicates that the player would prefer to stay and fight for a starting spot next term.
Olivier Giroud has already left Stamford Bridge for AC Milan, while Hakim Ziyech and Tammy Abraham both look likely to embark on new challenges, all of which opens the door to greater responsibility for the youngster.
At just 20 years old, there is still plenty of time for him to grow into the attacking threat which Chelsea need him to be in order to fulfil their lofty ambitions.
What it also means, however, is that Thomas Tuchel and transfer chief Marina Granovskaia have one less joker up their sleeve when it comes to luring Haaland to west London this summer.
Valued at £150million by Dortmund, Chelsea are understandably not thought to be keen on a cash-only deal, increasing the likelihood of the saga running into 2022.
At that point, the 6ft 4ins striker’s release clause would become active, putting him in the shop window for around £65million.
The whole of Europe’s elite clubs are expected to form an orderly queue at that price, with Real Madrid reportedly holding a firm belief that they will have the upper hand next summer.
Clearly, Hudson-Odoi’s decision will be welcomed by a large proportion of Chelsea fans.
Although it might make their lives slightly more difficult as Tuchel and Granovskaia continue about their business in the coming weeks.