Nottingham Forest could use the offer of "big wages" to tempt Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi to leave West London and join Steve Cooper's project in the East Midlands next season, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.
Nottingham Forest transfer news – What's the latest on Callum Hudson-Odoi?
It was a real rollercoaster of a season for Forest fans last year, from looking like certain relegations candidates at points to securing their Premier League survival with a game to spare thanks to an outstanding win over title-chasing Arsenal.
Prior to the season getting underway, the club went on a massive spending spree, bringing in 19 new players over the summer, and it looks like Cooper and Co are dipping back into the market again this year to add some more quality to the team, particularly on the wings.
The player said to have caught the attention of the Reds is Chelsea's once-promising wideman, Hudson-Odoi.
According to the Guardian, they are one of several clubs with 'registered interest' in the Cobham graduate, alongside Marco Silva's high-flying Fulham and Champions League semi-finalists AC Milan.
However, it's The Garibaldis who are currently ahead in the race to secure his signature, with FootballTransfers making the East Midlands club favourites to get the £20m deal done.
What has Dean Jones said about Callum Hudson-Odoi and Nottingham Forest?
Jones explains that despite the interest from other sides around Forest, it's unlikely that any would be able, or willing, to match the kind of wages that the two-time European champions could offer.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: "I don't think Forest are the only club in for him. Fulham have been linked, but Forest obviously have shown before that they'll be willing to pay big wages, and Callum Hudson-Odoi is on a pretty decent wage right now at Chelsea that other clubs might not be able to match. So it depends how far Forest are going to push the boat out. Certainly, they'd do very well to get him."
Would Callum Hudson-Odoi be a good signing for Nottingham Forrest?
It's been a tough few years for the player Frank Lampard once described as "special". He first burst onto the scene in the 2018/19 season, with his exciting attacking style grabbing the attention of German giants Bayern Munich, so much so that they offered Chelsea £30m for the youngster's signature.
Hudson-Odoi turned down the offer, instead signing a new £120,000-a-week contract at Stamford Bridge, but since then, injuries and poor form have completely curtailed his development.
In a bid to get back to his best and get his career back on track, he was sent out on loan to Bayer Leverkusen last season, but after starting just seven games in the Bundesliga and failing to score a single goal across 611 minutes in all competitions, the move can be described as nothing short of a disaster.
However, in looking under the hood at his underlying numbers, there still looks to be some promise.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, he sits in the top 10% of wingers for pass completion, the top 13% for progressive carries, the top 16% for progressive passes, and the top 24% for successful take-ons, all per 90.
The fact that he is still just 22 years old, able to play on either wing and still got enough time to fulfil even some of the enormous potential he was once thought to possess, Hudson-Odoi seems like a youngster well worth gambling on from the perspective of Nottingham Forest.