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LONDON -- Chelsea have rejected Callum Hudson-Odoi's transfer request and will not be selling him to Bayern Munich in January, sources have told ESPN FC. Hudson-Odoi formally notified Chelsea of his desire to join Bayern on Saturday, but was nevertheless picked to start by Maurizio Sarri against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup fourth round less than 24 hours later and scored an impressive goal in a 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have insisted from the moment that Bayern's interest became widely known that they want to keep Hudson-Odoi, who enters the final year of his contract at the end of the season and has no intention of committing to a long-term extension. Hudson-Odoi refused to be drawn in on whether he had played his final game for Chelsea in a post-match interview, but did acknowledge the supporters who chanted for him to stay at the club at the final whistle. Bayern made four official bids for Hudson-Odoi in January -- the latest worth around £35 million -- and until this week were very confident of closing a deal, with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic angering Chelsea by declaring the German giants' interest in the winger publicly. Chelsea hope that Sarri can help convince Hudson-Odoi that his long-term future lies at Stamford Bridge in the remainder of the season, though Gonzalo Higuain's arrival on loan from Juventus will push Eden Hazard back into his favoured left-wing role and increase the competition for minutes on the flanks. Sarri has given Hudson-Odoi 209 first-team minutes in January after fielding him for a grand total of just 215 minutes in the first five months of the season, and has made a point of frequently praising the 18-year-old's marked improvement in training during recent news conferences. Hudson-Odoi is still waiting for his first Premier League start under Sarri, however, having made only three substitute appearances this season.
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