During the January transfer window, Chelsea sent forward Carney Chukwuemeka on loan to Borussia Dortmund with the intention of completing a permanent move in the summer. The previous summer the Blues were unable to find someone willing to pay his supposed worth of £40 million so a move was put on hold until the winter.
Chukwuemeka has been unable to break into the Dortmund first team and has only played 54 minutes for the German club so far. He has yet to score or provide an assist in that limited game time and his FotMob rating is a paltry 6.26.
Aside from not impressing so far in the Bundesliga, a German insider has reported that Chelsea's asking price is far too high for the financially strapped club. Christian Falk reported that it was never likely in the first place for Dortmund to meet Chelsea's £40 million asking price as they have never spent more than €35 million on a player in their history.
That meant that Chukwuemeka would have had to be world class there to earn that fee and if that was the case he would still be at Chelsea. It's strange to think that a club of that stature has not spent that much on a player when Chelsea seem happy to spend that amount on a Brazilian teenager.
Another issue standing in the way of Chukwuemeka completing a permanent move is the fact that Dortmund are currently sitting in 11th place in the Bundesliga. They are 10 points off the Champions league places and seven points off the Europa League place in fifth.
A potential windfall from qualifying for the Champions league next season could have convinced him to spend the money on the youngster but they have a mountain to climb in order to do that. Even a Europa League spot could convince them to explore a player swap or another loan but that seems unlikely as well.
So with this news coming down the pipeline, Chelsea have a few options on how to proceed. The midfield at Stamford Bridge is becoming increasingly crowded and it doesn't seem like Chukwuemeka has a place there long term considering the club’s opinion of him and his current struggles.
If he is happy at Dortmund then perhaps they can send him on loan there once again and give him another chance to prove himself. If he is unsettled by the lack of playing time, then perhaps a move to a club with a bit less pressure could be in the cards. Either way we believe it is a safe bet that the young Englishman is not wearing Chelsea blue next season.