Chelsea have recently announced the signing of their long-time transfer target Jamie Gittens. Now, it appears that another move could be in the works between the two clubs, but this time in the opposite direction, as the Bundesliga giants are looking to take a player away from Stamford Bridge, if things go according to plan.
Dortmund are reportedly considering extending the stay of Carney Chukwuemeka at the club, where he spent the second half of last season on loan. The 21-year-old midfielder has failed to break through into the Chelsea team, which currently possesses one of the strongest midfields in the world.
As a result, the England international has found it hard to get game time at Chelsea, appearing in only five matches since the arrival of Enzo Maresca and none in the Premier League. However, his loan spell at Dortmund was much more successful, as he appeared in 17 matches overall and also scored a goal.
Now, it looks like his future might be in Germany. According to Metro, Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said:
"Carney’s loan ends today.
‘That was what we agreed with Chelsea. Now, let’s see. We will definitely have some more discussions in the next few days about his situation.
‘I think it was a good move from Carney to join us. Now let’s see how we manage everything.
‘It won’t be easy, but for sure we will try to keep him because he’s a very good player. This topic is something for the future, and right now I don’t know what will happen."
Borussia Dortmund publicly confirm interest in signing Chelsea player
Chukwuemeka joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in 2021 for a fee of £15 million. He still has a contract with the Blues until 2028, with a release clause of £40 million. It is believed to be unlikely that Chelsea will listen to any offers below that figure despite his limited game time at Stamford Bridge.
That said, Chelsea do need to part with some players to comply with the Financial Fair Play rules and also to make space for arriving fresh faces. Not to forget that the club was recently fined €31 million by UEFA.
Realistically speaking, Chukwuemeka doesn’t have a future at Chelsea, and he is expected to leave the club one way or another. Be it a loan deal with or without an option or obligation to buy, or a direct transfer. It’s not that he isn’t a talented player, but the Blues are stacked in the midfield department with players like Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos.