Antonio Rudiger: Eden Hazard's Chelsea Exit Key to Callum Hudson-Odoi Stay

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger believes Eden Hazard's move to Real Madrid and the club's transfer ban played key roles in keeping Callum Hudson-Odoi at Stamford Bridge. 

The young winger was widely linked with a move to Bayern Munich but ended up staying with the Blues and penning a new deal. In an interview with Sport Bild (h/t Goal's Chris Burton), Rudiger said the youngster asked him about the Bundesliga giants before making the choice to stay:

"Of course he asked me about Bayern Munich back then. I told him that it was of course a great club.

"The fact that he chose Chelsea is only logical for me. The transfer ban and the departure of Eden Hazard, which we had been expecting for a long time, made it clear that Callum would get more appearances."

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Rudiger knows Bayern well, having played for Stuttgart before moving to AS Roma and ending up at Chelsea.

Per Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, Hudson-Odoi has revealed he came close to moving to Germany before opting to stay put. Rumours were rife in January of 2019, when he also handed in a transfer request, but they mostly died down after the winger suffered a serious Achilles injury in April that sidelined him until September.

By that time, Hazard had already departed for La Liga giants Real, and the Blues couldn't bring in a replacement via the transfer market due to their ban. It meant more opportunities for the youngsters, with only Christian Pulisic as added competition.

Hudson-Odoi has struggled for consistency at times, but he has been a solid contributor:

His most recent outing, the 2-0 FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest, was one of his best:

Hudson-Odoi signed a new five-year agreement in September, committing his long-term future to Chelsea. Per Law, the deal is worth £120,000 per week, making him one of the highest-paid teen footballers in the world and underlining the faith the club have in him.

Manager Frank Lampard said the deal comes with major responsibility:

Hudson-Odoi will likely have the chance to show Bayern what they missed out on in February, when the two teams meet for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League clash.

The Bavarians will go into the tie as favourites against a relatively young and inexperienced Blues team. Chelsea present a major threat, however, after wins over the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Ajax this season.