Gianfranco Zola Admits He Doesn't Know if Callum Hudson-Odoi Will Stay at Chelsea

Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola has admitted 'he doesn't know' if starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi will remain with the Blues, amid strong interest from

Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola has admitted 'he doesn't know' if starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi will remain with the Blues, amid strong interest from Bayern Munich.

Zola was speaking following his side's comfortable 3-0 victory against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup, in which Hudson-Odoi bagged Chelsea's second goal to help the holders progress to the fifth round of the competition. 

Clive Rose/GettyImages

Regarding the 18-year-old's future at Stamford Bridge, Zola said (as quoted by Chelsea's official website): "We want him to stay, we were singing as well! I don’t know if he will stay. He has a contract, we are playing him, we believe in what he can do for this team.

"There are not many 18 year olds in Europe who are playing as much as he is in a big team. That shows we believe him, we think he can be an important player for us, so we will see what happens." He added.

Hudson-Odoi has reportedly handed in a transfer request in an attempt to force through a move to German champions Bayern Munich. However, despite the ongoing discussions, Zola admitted his attitude in training has still been 'excellent':

3-0, nice to contribute with a goal, good team performance🔥⚽️ pic.twitter.com/syDuoEwWCs

— Callum Hudson-Odoi (@Calteck10) January 27, 2019

"If we played him it’s because yesterday in training his attitude was excellent. He really played well. He scored a fantastic goal in training yesterday too. He didn’t show any signs which is why he played today."

The Chelsea legend also spoke about the debut of new loan signing Gonzalo Higuain, admitting the Argentinian will provide 'more' when he acclimatises to the Premier League.

He added: "Considering it was his first game, you will see more from him. A couple of times in the first half he made some great moves into space and he nearly got the right ball."