Chelsea wonderkid 'like Alphonso Davies' can fix Pochettino's biggest mistake

Cameron Smith

• 12 Jan 2024 09:45 CST
• 4 min read

Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has compared one of Chelsea’s new youngsters to Bayern Munich superstar Alphonso Davies.

Davies, 23, is widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in world football and he has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid ahead of the 2024 summer transfer window.

In fact, some reports have suggested that Los Blancos have asked him to reject a new contract at Bayern in order to ensure Real Madrid are able to fund a move this summer.

Davies currently has 18 months left on his existing deal at the Allianz Arena and Carlo Ancelotti’s side are desperate to sign him as they look to sign an upgrade on Ferland Mendy.

While Davies is in his prime, Chelsea may have signed a younger version of the Canadian in the form of David Oduru.

The 17-year-old is currently registered to Ghanian club Accra Lions, but he is reportedly on trial with Chelsea’s academy ahead of a permanent switch to west London.

While Oduru is an unknown quantity at the highest level, he has received praise from one of football's greatest ever players - Lothar Matthaus.

What has Lothar Matthaus said about David Oduru?

BILD reporter Christian Falk spoke to CaughtOffside about the teenager and admitted: “David Oduru (17) is involved with the camp with Chelsea’s academy.

“He’s coming from another academy in Ghana. Lothar Matthaus is part of this academy and told me that he’s really proud the young left fullback is now at Chelsea and is hoping that the Blues see his big talent.

“He’s compared the player with Alphonso Davies and has described him as a very fast footballer with desirable offensive qualities.

"So perhaps you’ll get the next Davies in the Premier League!”

Is David Oduru the answer to Chelsea’s left-back problem?

While Oduru is still extremely young, to have earned such high praise from Matthaus suggests that he is destined for a big future in the European game.

David arrived at Bayern as a teenage winger with only MLS experience and he soon transformed into a brilliant left-back; one who tore Chelsea to shreds at Stamford Bridge in 2020.

Oduru won’t be rushed into senior football, especially considering he is yet to become a permanent Chelsea player, but he evidently has potential.

He may face competition from fellow youngsters Dylan Williams and Ian Maatsen (currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund), but given the injury-prone nature of Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella’s poor form since joining from Brighton, there’s every chance that Oduru is given an opportunity in the first-team within the next few years.

Furthermore, if Oduru is given the platform to succeed in the first-team, then it may allow Levi Colwill to finally revert away from the unnatural left-back role that Mauricio Pochettino has deployed him in this season.

The England international was one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs on loan at Brighton in 2022-23, but his form has dipped drastically this campaign as a result of being played out of position as a left full-back.

Moving Colwill back to centre-back would likely see a huge upturn in form and finally enable Chelsea to extract his immense potential rather than limit his game at left-back.

While Oduru is unlikely to join Chelsea's first-team upon arriving at Stamford Bridge, Davies is living proof that a relatively untested youngster is able to perform if given the chance.