Fabrizio Romano has revealed the intentions of the Chelsea hierarchy regarding Omari Hutchinson this transfer window after he returned from a successful loan spell at Ipswich Town.
Chelsea Keen to Profit on Omari Hutchinson Transfer This Summer
Chelsea’s Intentions
After playing just twice for the Blues in the 2022/23 season, and going out on loan to Ipswich in 2023/24, Chelsea have decided that they “won’t loan out Omari Hutchinson again this summer”. If he does leave, it will be on a “permanent deal only”.
This makes sense, after two years of high spending by Todd Boehly, they must surely be struggling to keep within the profitability and sustainability rules. Hutchinson would be almost pure profit as he was pinched from Arsenal’s academy, incentivising this sale.
However, Romano revealed that the club would “only consider bids around £25/30 million”. This is a pretty steep fee for a player with only 22 Premier League minutes under his belt.
Hutchinson’s Career so Far
At Arsenal, Hutchinson impressed. He scored nine and assisted nine in 24 appearances for the U18s, before scoring eight and assisting one less for the U23s.
He scored eight for Chelsea’s academy but really broke through under Kieran McKenna in the EFL Championship. Recording a strong 11 goals and five assists in all competitions, Hutchinson played a crucial role in their successful automatic promotion.
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The 38-year-old manager even joked with CEO Mark Ashton that all he wanted for his birthday was “Omari!”.
Interested Clubs
Romano understands that “Stuttgart are pushing a lot to sign him” as favourites.
This would not be the first time that we’ve seen a young English winger move from the big six to the Bundesliga; Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith-Rowe, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Jadon Sancho all had spells in Germany. Hutchinson would join a side that finished second, ahead of Bayern Munich, with exciting attackers like Serhou Guirassy.
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The Italian journalist also revealed that “more clubs in PL [Premier League]” were keen alongside Dutch outfits, Ajax and Feyenoord.
Three Potential Premier League Destinations for Omari Hutchinson’s Permanent Transfer
The obvious, perfect destination for the 20-year-old would be back to Portman Road, though £25 million would be a high fee for a promoted side to spend on a single player.
West Ham United could also benefit from the youngster. They were rumoured to be spending a similar fee on Luis Guilherme, another young winger, though the deal has reportedly broken down. With Lucas Paqueta potentially facing a ban, they could do with the creative depth.
A third choice is Crystal Palace, should Michael Olise or Eberechi Eze depart. Either one would leave for a hefty fee, and Oliver Glasner would want to replace him with another creative, yet direct, source. Hutchinson would thrive at Selhurst Park in a very similar way to the duo, and it would not mean relocating.
