Callum Hudson-Odoi Says He'll 'Keep Pushing' for Chelsea Opportunities

Callum Hudson-Odoi has promised to "keep pushing" and "be patient" as he waits for more playing time at Chelsea.

The 18-year-old, who has been heavily linked with Bayern Munich, spoke after inspiring the Blues to a 2-0 win over Championship side Nottingham Forest in the 2019 FA Cup third round on Saturday.

Hudson-Odoi spoke to Chelsea TV (h/t Football.London's Greg Johnson): "I've just got to be patient and keep working hard. No matter what, I need to keep pushing in training and training shows the manager as well."

Those words may give Chelsea fans hope Hudson-Odoi will stay at the club beyond the January transfer window. The chances have appeared tenuous amid reports Bundesliga giants Bayern are pressing home their interest:

Bayern's keenness to get a deal done makes sense given Hudson-Odoi's obvious promise. The creative teenager offered a glimpse of his talent against Forest:

He's also been thriving away from domestic competitions:

Displays like these are driving the interest from Munich. The Bundesliga has already seen the rewards to be gained from taking chances on English products from the academies of the Premier League's biggest teams.

Borussia Dortmund have found a star after signing 18-year-old winger Jadon Sancho from Manchester City. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Arsenal prospect Reiss Nelson has been catching the eye during his loan spell with Hoffenheim.

Bayern manager Niko Kovac referenced Sancho when asked about the possibility of signing Hudson-Odoi, per Goal: "[Hudson-Odoi] is from the same year as [Borussia Dortmund's Jadon] Sancho, which was very successful. It is completely normal that we are aware of and are following the player."

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While Bayern know why they want Hudson-Odoi, Chelsea have an equally compelling case to keep him. The west London club has a sketchy history of giving up early on gifted youngsters in recent years.

Kevin De Bruyne is perhaps the most notable example after he was sold to City in 2015 after a series of loan spells. The Blues also offloaded a teenage Romelu Lukaku despite the powerhouse centre-forward's obvious promise.

Breaking into a senior squad loaded with big-money signings is never easy. Hudson-Odoi faces similar problems with Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian holding sway in the attacking areas of midfield.

However, Hudson-Odoi is already outperforming one of the established names:

Fortunately for Hudson-Odoi, Maurizio Sarri has shown a greater willingness than some of his predecessors to give youth a chance. He's recalled and used 22-year-old midfield colossus Ruben Loftus-Cheek while also handing 18-year-old Ethan Ampadu a pair of starts.

If Sarri commits to giving Hudson-Odoi more opportunities to impress, there's no reason the burgeoning star can't stay put and refresh Chelsea's options on the wings.