Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has reportedly sparked interest from Borussia Dortmund, with a to move away from Stamford Bridge this month is increasingly likely.
Chukwuemeka was lured away from his boyhood club Aston Villa during ChelseaThe summer of 2022 without expenses. The England Under-21 international has made just five starts in his two-and-a-half years in west London since his £20million arrival.
A combination of competition for places and a ruinous race injuries has been behind Chukwuemeka’s struggles. The long-limbed midfielder looked set to earn a place in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting eleven in August 2023 but suffered a serious knee injury 15 minutes after scoring his first Chelsea goal against West Ham.
The 21-year-old hasn’t made a single one Premier League appearance under Pochettino’s successor Enzo Maresca and is believed to be keen to secure a January move to earn more first-team football. Borussia Dortmund are “closely monitoring” the situation, they said Sky Sport Germany.
West Ham United have been previously linked with Chukwuemeka – and his underused teammate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Chelsea are believed to have paid £40m for the former but would be willing to accept a loan deal in the winter ahead of a permanent move in the summer.
Chukwuemeka is not the only Chelsea player to leave Stamford Bridge this year. Italian midfielder Cesare Casadei has been the subject of intense interest from Turin in the winter window, but he may now be on his way to Napoli after Antonio Conte’s side entered the race for his signature, for Gianluca Di Marzio.
Like Chukwuemeka, Casadei is a promising young midfielder who has not received a single minute of Premier League football. The 21-year-old is no stranger to Maresca, who spent the first half of last season on loan at Leicester City, but has failed to convince his compatriot of his talent this term.
